Polymers as Electronic Materials — Today’s Possibilities and Tomorrow’s Dreams

Semiconducting and metallic organic polymers can be obtained by the addition of either electron donors or electron acceptors to insulating organic polymers. A status report is made for such presently available highly­conducting polymers, emphasizing both properties aspects which might find applications and problem areas. From this starting point, predictions are made of properties which might ultimately be obtainable - in part, by eliminating the gross structural and chemical irregularities of today’s materials. The properties include conductivities comparable with copper, ultimate strengths and modulii higher than for strong steels, and the possibility of superconductivity. Finally, the applications horizon is critically examined, both by comparison with competing materials for today’s technologies and by examining the materials needed for future technologies.