INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS PUBLISHING NANOTECHNOLOGY Nanotechnology 16 (2005) R51–R62 doi:10.1088/0957-4484/16/10/R01 TOPICAL REVIEW Conducting polymer-based nanostructurized materials: electrochemical aspects A Malinauskas 1,2,4 , J Malinauskien˙ e 3 and A Ramanaviˇ cius 3 1 Institute of Chemistry, Goˇ stauto Street 9, LT-01108 Vilnius, Lithuania 2 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vilnius Pedagogical University, Student˛ u 39, LT-08106 Vilnius, Lithuania 3 Chemistry Faculty, Vilnius University, Naugarduko 24, LT-03225 Vilnius, Lithuania E-mail: albmal@takas.lt (A Malinauskas) Received 10 December 2004 Published 16 August 2005 Online at stacks.iop.org/Nano/16/R51 Abstract New modern technologies require new materials. During the past decade, the movement towards nanodimensions in many areas of technology aroused a huge interest in nanostructurized materials. The present article reviews recent works dealing with electrochemistry-related aspects of nanostructurized conducting polymers. Electrochemical synthesis and some properties of nanostructurized conducting polymers, and nanocomposites derived from conducting polymers and metals, carbon, and inorganic and organic materials are considered. Some potential areas for electrochemistry-related applications of nanocomposites are highlighted, including batteries, supercapacitors, energy conversion systems, corrosion protection, and sensors. 1. Introduction It is commonly expected that the future progress in such fields of technology as microelectronics, sensorics and biosensorics, and chemical and biochemical engineering will be concerned with new knowledge-based nanostructurized materials. Conducting and electroactive polymers are relatively new materials, extensively studied during the past two decades. Recently, nanostructurization of conducting polymers and their composites emerged as a new field of research and development, directed to creation of new smart materials for use in modern and future technologies. In particular, electrochemistry-related aspects of nanostructurized conducting polymers have recently attracted a great deal of interest. The main expected electrochemistry- related fields of application for nanostructurized conducting polymers are electric energy storage systems, chemical- 4 Address for correspondence: Institute of Chemistry, Goˇ stauto Street 9, LT-01108 Vilnius, Lithuania. to-electric or vice versa energy conversions, sensors and biosensors, and materials for corrosion protection. The present concise review deals with electrochemistry-related aspects of nanostructurized conducting polymers and their composites. To our knowledge, this is a first attempt to give a general overview on the topic bordering three disciplines—electrochemistry, nanoscience, and conducting polymer chemistry. 2. Electrochemical synthesis of conducting polymer nanostructures Electrochemical synthesis, like chemical polymerization, is a very frequently used technique for obtaining conducting polymers. At a sufficiently high positive (i.e. anodic) electrode potential, some monomers like aniline or pyrrole undergo electrochemical oxidation yielding cation radicals or other reactive species. Once formed, these species trigger the polymerization process. As a result, oligomers and/or 0957-4484/05/100051+12$30.00 © 2005 IOP Publishing Ltd Printed in the UK R51