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Conductive Polymers Are A Specific Section Under The Broad Range Of Polymers

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Conductive polymers are a specific section under the broad range of polymers, that have the ability to effectively conduct electricity. They were discovered by accident in a lab by Hideki Shirakawa in 1974, yet their potential applications were not understood until early 2000s. They are made by doping with n-type and p-type which forces electrons to move throughout the material which normally would not happen because of a polymer molecular structure. They provide many advantages over metals because of they are light weight, cheap, and functional versatile. Conductive polymers are frequently used with rechargeable batteries, sensors, and light displays. Lastly, they have a bright future with the world turning towards wanting more technology that is light weight and integrated in the day-to-day functions.
A typical polymer is a very ductile, cheap, and light material that cannot handle high temperatures or electrical conductivity. Polymers are generally used for plastic bags and bottles, crates, toys, and insulation on electrical cables. Electrical conductivity is usually found only in metals because of its small to nonsexist band gap between the filled and empty bands. Electrons are able to move freely between the bands which is the current allowing everything to work. Polymers have a large enough band gap that makes it very difficult for electrons to go between the bands. Large amounts of energy would be needed to force electrons across this gap. However, with the addition

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