Polymer conductivity through particle connectivity

Conducting polymers, especially those template-synthesized on polymer acids, have attracted considerable attention for applications in organic and polymer electronics because of their processability and patternability, excellent mechanical properties, and robust electronic properties. The template synthesis of conductive polymers with polymer acids in aqueous media results in electrostatically stabilized submicrometer particles. With a model system of polyaniline that is template-synthesized in a presence of poly(2-acrylamido-2- methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid), or PAAMPSA, we show that the molecular characteristics of PAAMPSA influence the size and size distribution of the particles. We further demonstrate that it is the packing of these particles that governs macroscopic conduction in the solid state. Accordingly, the macroscopic conductivity of such polymers scales linearly with particle density.