Conducting Polymers in Electrochemical Sensing Applications
Summary
Conducting polymers are a class of organic macromolecules distinguished by their conjugated backbones, which allow charge transport through delocalised π-electrons. By chemical or electrochemical doping, their conductivity can be finely tuned, enabling the transduction of chemical, biological or environmental stimuli into measurable electrical signals. Common materials include polypyrrole, polyaniline, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) and polythiophene derivatives. These polymers exhibit high surface area, adjustable porosity and compatibility with biomolecules, making them ideal for fabricating potentiometric, amperometric, voltammetric and impedimetric sensors. In practice, a conducting polymer film is deposited on an electrode and functionalised with enzymes, antibodies or nucleic acids to confer selectivity. Upon interaction with the target analyte, redox processes or changes in film impedance modulate the electrical response, allowing quantitative detection. Such sensors have been applied to point-of-care diagnostics, environmental monitoring, food safety and wearable health devices. Advances in nano-structuring, composite formation and flexible substrates continue to expand the global impact of conducting-polymer-based electrochemical sensors.
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Conducting Polymers in Electrochemical Sensing Applications publication trend
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Technical terms
Conducting polymer: A polymer with a conjugated backbone whose electrical conductivity is controlled by doping.
Doping: The introduction of charge carriers (oxidation or reduction) into a polymer to modulate its conductivity.
Amperometry: An electrochemical technique that measures current at a fixed potential, proportional to analyte concentration.
Voltammetry: A method in which current is recorded while the electrode potential is swept, revealing redox processes.
Impedimetric sensing: Measurement of an electrode’s impedance over a range of frequencies to detect changes at its surface.
References
- Electrochemical Sensors Based on Organic Conjugated Polymers. Sensors (2008).
- Biomimetic Synthesized Conductive Copolymer EDOT-Pyrrole Electrodes for Electrocardiogram Recording in Humans. Journal of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering (2021).
- Conducting Matrices of the Poly(-O-Toluidine, PTOL) Film for Immobilizing Uricase. Molekul (2022).
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