Nanostructured intrinsically conducting polymers formed by electrochemical synthesis

Abstract

Due to unique properties of intrinsically conducting polymers (ICP) such as: electrical conductivity, reversible electrochemistry, optical activity, biocompatibility, environmental and corrosion stability, they still represent a base for both theoretical and practical studies. The mentioned properties open up possibilities for practical application in the field of electrochemical systems for energy storage and conversion, sensors, biosensors, antistatic coatings, magnetic shielding, active corrosion protection etc. Bearing in mind that nanostructurization of materials lead to improvement of physical and chemical properties, there is a growing interest in the development of nanosized ICP. Nanosized ICP can be prepared by both chemical and electrochemical procedures. Although chemical synthesis is a common approach, there are also not a few studies of electrochemical synthesis of ICP. The aim of this paper is to review literature dedicated to electrochemical formation of nanostructured ICP with special attention dedicated to polyaniline and polypyrrole as the most popular ICPs.