Conducting polymer coatings in electrochemical technology - Part 2 - Application areas

Conducting polymers can combine the electronic characteristics of metals with the engineering properties of polymers. Polypyrrole (PPy), polythiophene (PTh) and polyaniline (PAN) are common examples of conducting polymers which can be electrode posited from their respective heterocyclic monomers. The applications of these and other electrodeposited polymer materials are considered in this review. Application areas include electronic and optical materials, sensors, bioimplants, actuators and corrosion protection together with electrical energy storage. Specialised coatings include composite and multilayer deposits consisting of a conducting polymer coating and a second phase of metal or ceramic.