Advances on doping strategies and emerging applications of organic (semi)conducting polymers
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Conducting polymers have evolved from intrinsically conductive macromolecules into versatile organic (semi)conductors that combine electronic transport with ionic, optical, mechanical, and spin functionalities. A central challenge in this evolution is to generate and stabilize charge carriers while retaining control over molecular organization, processability, and operational stability. This Review examines how molecular design and doping chemistry have progressively addressed this challenge, from early polyacetylene- and polyaniline-based systems to processable polythiophene derivatives and contemporary donor–acceptor conjugated polymers. Across p-type, ntype, and self-doped systems, we consider how advances in molecular architecture and doping chemistry have expanded the means of generating, stabilizing, and transporting charge carriers. Emerging approaches—including side-chain-enabled doping, protoncoupled electron transfer, catalytic and photoinduced doping, and intrinsically open-shell self-doping—are considered in the context of their potential to overcome limitations in doping efficiency, stability, and morphological control. These advances have expanded conducting polymers beyond conventional charge-transport materials toward multifunctional platforms for energy storage, 3D printing, organic electrochemical transistors, neuromorphic computing, and spintronics. We further identify the need to establish more precise relationships among molecular structure, doping state, solid-state organization, and device-level performance. Continuing progress along these directions will be essential for translating the tunable optical, electronic, electrochemical and mechanical properties of these organic conducting polymers into stable, scalable, and multifunctional technologies beyond the reach of classical inorganic (semi)conductors such as silicon and metals.
Source: ChemRxiv
Authors: Ying Wei, Yifan Liu, Feng Jiang, Mingfeng Wang
Institution: Chinese University of Hong Kong
Language: English
Subfield: Polymers and Plastics
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7221697012