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The rising demand for energy storage systems with high power density, rapid charge/discharge capabilities, and long cycle life has pushed extensive research into advanced materials for supercapacitor applications. There are several materials under investigation, and among these materials, conductive polymer composites have emerged as promising candidates due to their unique combination of electrical conductivity, flexibility, and facile synthesis. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of recent advancements in the development and application of conductive polymer composites for supercapacitor applications. The review begins with an overview of the fundamental principles governing electrical conductivity mechanism, applications of conductive polymers and the specific requirements for materials employed for these devices. Subsequently, it delves into the properties of conductive polymers and the challenges associated with their implementation for supercapacitors, highlighting the limitations of pristine conductive polymers and the strategies employed to overcome these drawbacks through composite formation. In this review, conductive polymer composites and their applications on supercapacitors are explored, and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed. Finally, the electromechanical properties of each conductive polymer composite are elaborated.

Electromagnetic shielding materials are special materials that can effectively absorb and shield electromagnetic waves and protect electronic devices and electronic circuits from interference and damage by electromagnetic radiation. This paper presents the research progress of intrinsically conductive polymer materials and conductive polymer-based composites for electromagnetic shielding as well as an introduction to lightweight polymer composites with multicomponent systems. These materials have excellent electromagnetic interference shielding properties and have the advantages of electromagnetic wave absorption and higher electromagnetic shielding effectiveness compared with conventional electromagnetic shielding materials, but these materials still have their own shortcomings. Finally, the paper also discusses the future opportunities and challenges of intrinsically conductive polymers and composites containing a conductive polymer matrix for electromagnetic shielding applications.

The creation of functional materials which enable adjustable electronic properties was fundamental to the development of electronic sensors and biomedical applications. The research assesses a ternary nanocomposite system which combines sodium alginate (SA) with polypyrrole (PPy) and titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) through dual methods of computational simulation and experimental testing. The researchers used Density Functional Theory (DFT) simulations at the B3LYP/6-31G(d, p) level to study how molecules interact with each other and how their electronic structures behave. The research demonstrates that the SA/PPy/TiO 2 composite material exhibits better electronic performance because it shows both a smaller energy gap and a smaller total dipole moment. The global reactivity indices which include ionization energy, chemical hardness, and the HOMO-LUMO gap reveal a synergistic effect which enhances charge transfer according to Density of States (DOS) measurements and Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules (QTAIM) results. The researchers used FTIR and UV-Vis spectroscopy to confirm that SA/TiO 2 composite films matched theoretical predictions at a high accuracy. The B3LYP/6-31G(d, p) level shows that it successfully detects a smaller HOMO–LUMO gap which demonstrates that the studied composites exhibit greater chemical reactivity and better internal charge transfer and higher electrical conductivity.

Here, the use of cellulose films (CFs) produced from low‐quality cotton is reported as a template for in situ synthesis of well‐known conductive polymers, e.g., polyaniline (PANI) and polypyrrole (PPY) via oxidative polymerization. Three successive monomer loading/polymerization cycles of aniline (ANI) and pyrrole (PY) within CFs as PANI@CF or PPY@CF are carried out to increase the amount of conductive polymer content. The contact angle (CA) for three times ANI and PPY loaded and polymerized CFs as 3PANI@CF and 3PPY@CF are determined as 26.3±2.8 and 42.3±0.6 degrees, respectively. As the electrical conductivity is increased with increased number of conductive polymer synthesis within CF, the higher conductivity values, 3×10−4±8.1×10−5 S.cm−1 and 2.1×10−3±5.8×10−4 S.cm−1, respectively are measured for 3PANI@CF and 3PPY@CF composites. It is found that PANI@CF composites are hemolytic, whereas PPY@CF composites are not at 1 mg mL−1 concentrations. All PPY@CF composites exhibit better biocompatibility than PANI@CF composites on L929 fibroblast cells with more than 70±8% viability at 1 mg of CF‐based conductive polymer composites. Moreover, MIC and MBC values of 3PPY@CF composites for Escherichia coli (ATCC8739) and Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC6538) are determined as 2.5 and 5.0 mg.mL−1, whereas these values are estimated as 5 and 10 mg.mL−1 for Candida albicans (ATCC10231). Cotton fibers are dissolved in N, N‐dimethylacetamide/lithium chloride (DMAc/LiCl) solvent system and converted cellulose solutions to strong, transparent, and flexible films through casting, gelation, regeneration, plasticization, and hot‐pressing. The prepared cellulose films (CFs) are used as a template for in situ synthesis of polyaniline (PANI) and polypyrrole (PPY) polymers to attain electroactive cellulose based composites with intriguing biomedical properties.

Electrospinning and electric stimulation (ES) are both promising methods to support neuron adhesion and guide extension of neurons for nerve regeneration. Concurrently, all studies focus on either electrospinning for conduits material or ES study to accelerate nerve regeneration; few work on the combined use of these two strategies or ES study. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the abilities of direct current ES through electrospinning conductive polymer composites composed of polypyrrole and Poly (l-lactic acid-co-ε-caprolactone) (PPY/PLCL) in peripheral nerve regeneration. PPY/PLCL composite conduits were synthesized by polymerizing pyrrole coated electrospun PLCL scaffolds. Morphologies and chemical compositions were characterized by scanning electron microscope and attenuated total reflection fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) microscope. Rat pheochromocytoma 12 (PC12) cells and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) cells cultured on PPY/PLCL scaffolds were stimulated with 100 mV/cm for 4 h per day. The median neurite length and cell viability were measured in PC-12 cells. The levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), glial cell derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) were analyzed in DRG cells. In rats, 15 mm gaps of sciatic nerves were bridged using an autograft, non-stimulated PPY/PLCL conduit and PPY/PLCL conduit stimulated with 100 mV potential, respectively. A 100 mV potential direct current ES was applied for 1 h per day at 1, 3, 5 and 7 days post-implantation. The PPY/PLCL conduits with ES showed a similar performance compared with the autograft group, and significantly better than the non-stimulated PPY/PLCL conduit group. These promising results show that the PPY/PLCL conductive conduits' combined use with ES has great potential for peripheral nerve regeneration.

In this study, the synthesis of a mesoporous crystalline covalent organic framework (COF) based on melamine and 1,4-dibromo butane as COF-1,4 and its use as a template for in situ synthesis of conductive polymers such as poly(Aniline) (PANi) and poly(Pyrrole) (PPy) within the pores were reported. The synthesized COF-1,4/conductive polymer semi-Interpenetrating Network (semi-IPN) composites were characterized via FT-IR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA), and the conductivities of the prepared composites were determined with an electrometer. It was found that upon the in situ synthesis of the conductive polymers such as PANi and PPy within COF-1,4, the conductivity of bare COF-1,4 was increased 3 million-fold for COF-1,4/PANi, and 500 thousand-fold for COF-1,4/PPy, respectively. Furthermore, the potential sensor applications of these COF-1,4/conductive polymer semi-IPN composites were investigated against HCl and NH 3 , and methyl orange (MO), and methylene blue (MB) dyes in aqueous solutions. The sensor studies revealed that the conductivity of bare COF-1,4 increased 20 and 7K-folds upon 15 min exposure to HCl and NH 3 gases, respectively. Interestingly, an eightfold decrease in the conductivity of COF-1,4/PANi was observed upon 15 min exposure to NH 3 gas vapor at ambient conditions. Also, the conductivities of prepared COF-1,4 and its conductive polymer composites changed after treatment with MO and MB dyes suggesting other potential sensor applications of these porous materials.

In the context of improving aircraft safety, this work focuses on creating and testing a graphene-based ice detection system in an environmental chamber. This research is driven by the need for more accurate and efficient ice detection methods, which are crucial in mitigating in-flight icing hazards. The methodology employed involves testing flat graphene-based sensors in a controlled environment, simulating a variety of climatic conditions that could be experienced in an aircraft during its entire flight. The environmental chamber enabled precise manipulation of temperature and humidity levels, thereby providing a realistic and comprehensive test bed for sensor performance evaluation. The results were significant, revealing the graphene sensors’ heightened sensitivity and rapid response to the subtle changes in environmental conditions, especially the critical phase transition from water to ice. This sensitivity is the key to detecting ice formation at its onset, a critical requirement for aviation safety. The study concludes that graphene-based sensors tested under varied and controlled atmospheric conditions exhibit a remarkable potential to enhance ice detection systems for aircraft. Their lightweight, efficient, and highly responsive nature makes them a superior alternative to traditional ice detection technologies, paving the way for more advanced and reliable aircraft safety solutions.

Maintaining normothermia during surgery is crucial to prevent perioperative hypothermia. This nonrandomized study of 70 patients undergoing cesarean delivery with spinal anesthesia compared the effectiveness of conductive‐polymer heating devices (CPHDs) in maintaining temperatures and enhancing thermal comfort. Core and peripheral temperatures were recorded, and thermal comfort was assessed. Patients who were warmed with a CPHD blanket and those warmed with a CPHD blanket and a CPHD mattress reported significantly higher thermal comfort and had higher core temperatures (P < .01) than those warmed only by a CPHD mattress. Further, higher peripheral temperatures were achieved in patients warmed with a CPHD blanket or with both a CPHD mattress and a CPHD blanket when compared to those warmed by a CPHD mattress alone (P = .03). Blankets and combination warming methods are more effective than mattresses in maintaining temperatures and enhancing thermal comfort in patients undergoing cesarean delivery with spinal anesthesia.

Electrochromic devices have important implications as smart windows for energy efficient buildings, internet of things devices, and in low-cost advertising applications. While inorganics have so far dominated the market, organic conductive polymers possess certain advantages such as high throughput and low temperature processing, faster switching, and superior optical memory. Here, we present organic electrochromic devices that can switch between two high-resolution images, based on UV-patterning and vapor phase polymerization of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) films. We demonstrate that this technique can provide switchable greyscale images through the spatial control of a UV-light dose. The color space was able to be further altered via optimization of the oxidant concentration. Finally, we utilized a UV-patterning technique to produce functional paper with electrochromic patterns deposited on porous paper, allowing for environmentally friendly electrochromic displays.

In this study, a super porous polymeric network prepared from a natural polymer, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), was used as a scaffold in the preparation of conductive polymers such as poly(Aniline) (PANi), poly(Pyrrole) (PPy), and poly(Thiophene) (PTh). CMC–conductive polymer composites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques, and conductivity measurements. The highest conductivity was observed as 4.36 × 10−4 ± 4.63 × 10−5 S·cm−1 for CMC–PANi cryogel composite. The changes in conductivity of prepared CMC cryogel and its corresponding PAN, PPy, and PTh composites were tested against HCl and NH3 vapor. The changes in conductivity values of CMC cryogel upon HCl and NH3 vapor treatment were found to increase 1.5- and 2-fold, respectively, whereas CMC–PANi composites showed a 143-fold increase in conductivity upon HCl and a 12-fold decrease in conductivity upon NH3 treatment, suggesting the use of natural polymer–conductive polymer composites as sensor for these gases.