Conducting polymers are smart materials that possess unique and tuneable electrical, optical, and electrochemical properties. 3D printing technology is rapidly advancing, and using conducting polymers for this process can lead to many emerging applications as it can print complex structures cost effectively, though many challenges need to be overcome before this technology can be used on a large scale. 3D Printed Conducting Polymers highlights the state of the art of these materials, the basics of additive printing, and the role of conducting polymers in additive manufacturing. It also discusses applications in energy, sensors, and biomedical areas. Covers fundamentals, synthesis, and various applications of conducting polymers. Discusses basics of energy devices, sensors, and materials technology for emerging applications. Explores new approaches for the synthesis of conducting polymers and composites for 3D print technology. Details future applications and challenges. Offering direction to researchers and advanced students to better understand the chemistry and electrochemical properties of conducting polymers and technologies for 3D printing, this book advances the science and technology of this emerging field for readers in materials and chemical engineering, biotechnology, energy, and related disciplines.

3D Printing: Fundamentals to Emerging Applications discusses the fundamentals of 3D-printing technologies and their emerging applications in many important sectors such as energy, biomedicals, and sensors. Top international authors in their fields cover the fundamentals of 3D-printing technologies for batteries, supercapacitors, fuel cells, sensors, and biomedical and other emerging applications. They also address current challenges and possible solutions in 3D-printing technologies for advanced applications. Key features: Addresses the state-of-the-art progress and challenges in 3D-printing technologies Explores the use of various materials in 3D printing for advanced applications Covers fundamentals of the electrochemical behavior of various materials for energy applications Provides new direction and enables understanding of the chemistry, electrochemical properties, and technologies for 3D printing This is a must-have resource for students as well as researchers and industry professionals working in energy, biomedicine, materials, and nanotechnology.

Conducting polymers offer the ability to create electronic devices that are lightweight with relatively simple processing compared to their inorganic counterparts. They have recently gained attention in the wearable electronics field due their ability to exhibit flexibility and low stiffness while conducting electricity. However, conducting polymers are not intrinsically flexible and must be modified, usually at the expense of electrical performance, or through the use of expensive and toxic additives. Here, we explore the use of architected materials to tune a conductive polymer's mechanical properties without chemical modification. To do so, a reliable and high-throughput 3D printing system for a conducting polymer-based hydrogel was established. The system utilizes a stereolithography apparatus (SLA) to 3D print a hydrogel of almost any 3D shape. The hydrogel acts as a dopant and structural component for a subsequently grown conducting polymer. This means a conducting polymer, which is usually limited to being a thin film or a stochastic foam, can be made into specific and complex geometries, enabling the tailoring of its mechanical properties through architecture, without compositing or chemical modification. When architected into a lattice, the conducting polymers can withstand compressive strain up to 80% without failure, whereas their bulk counterpart reaches just 25% strain before undergoing brittle fracture. The architected conducting polymers also exhibit a strain rate invariant stress-strain curve, suggesting that a potential strain rate invariant electrical resistance behavior may exist, but further investigation is required.

To develop devices for improving the quality of life such as handheld electronics, artificial muscles, lab-on-chip devices, etc., the quest for future smart materials has led to increasing interest in Conducting Polymers (CPs). Recent technological advancements have already exploited the many advantages of CPs, but to further their usability, we require a reliable and robust means of fabricating CPs at micrometric scales. This research work focusses on demonstrating these fabricated CP micro-structures’ applicability in biomedical applications and, more specifically, as a means of sensing and measuring air flow levels observed during neonatal resuscitation. In this thesis, I present a reliable means of fabricating three-dimensional CP microstructures, in particular focusing on fabricating hair-like microstructures from Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) Poly(styrene sulfonate), referred to as PEDOT:PSS. A 3D printer was developed with capabilities of producing microscopic patterns and structures using miniaturized pipettes for dispensing the CP material. A Graphical user interface was also developed to allow human interface with the microstructure printer. A novel flow sensor prototype was developed using PEDOT:PSS micro-hairs, where these micro-hairs act as microscopic switches which open and close in response to air flow. By using an array of micro-hairs that respond to specific flow velocities, a discrete digital output flow sensor was demonstrated. A means of improving the sensitivity of the flow sensor to lower flow velocities was also demonstrated by printing the micro-hairs within a narrow convergent-divergent flow channel. To improve the understanding of the flow sensor’s response to air flow by simulating the Fluid-structure interactions (FSI), a robust mathematical model was developed. Based on Lattice Boltzmann equations for simulating the fluid flow in a 3D domain and beam theory for simulating large deflections, the model was exclusively coded in MATLAB. Using dimensional transformations to minimize the computational costs, a mixed 2D and 3D simulation for the developed FSI model is presented. Using the FSI model, a final sensor prototype was developed specifically to be compatible with the target neonatal resuscitator device. Apart from being capable of measuring the ultra-low velocity flows experienced during neo-natal resuscitation to meet the demands of the target application, this prototype sensor was designed to be portable with the capability of reading out flow levels directly integrated with the sensor. Furthermore, the portable sensor was also developed with a disposable architecture to improve medical compatibility. By successfully demonstrating the capabilities of fabricating CPs in micrometric scales and using these microstructures as a suitable means of sensing air flow through the development of an ultra-low velocity flow sensor, the suitability of using CP microstructures in real world applications has been demonstrated.

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Conducting polymers are versatile materials that possess both the unique properties of polymeric materials (elastic behavior, reversible deformation, flexibility, etc.) and the ability to conduct electricity with bulk conductivities comparable to those of metals and semiconductors. Conducting Polymers: Chemistries, Properties and Biomedical Applications provides current, state-of-the-art knowledge of conducting polymers and their composites for biomedical applications. This book covers the fundamentals of conducting polymers, strategies to modify the structure of conducting polymers to make them biocompatible, and their applications in various biomedical areas such as drug/gene delivery, tissue engineering, antimicrobial activities, biosensors, etc. FEATURES Covers the state-of-the-art progress on biodegradable conducting polymers for biomedical applications Presents synthesis, characterization, and applications of conducting polymers for various biomedical research Provides the fundamentals of biodegradation mechanisms and the role of conduction in biomedical devices Offers details of novel methods and advanced technologies used in biomedical applications using conducting polymers Highlights new directions for scientists, researchers, and students to better understand the chemistry, technologies, and applications of conducting polymers This book is essential reading for all academic and industrial researchers working in the fields of materials science, polymers, nanotechnology, and biomedical technology.

This volume is a comprehensive guide to the industrial use of polymer composites. Edited contributions demonstrate the application of these materials for different industrial sectors. The book covers the benefits, future potential, and manufacturing techniques of different types of polymers. Contributors also address challenges in using nanopolymers in these industries. Readers will find valuable insights into the current demand and supply of polymer composites and future scope for research and development in this field of polymer science. The volume presents seven chapters, each exploring a different application of polymer composites. Chapter 1 discusses the use of polymer additives for improving classical concrete and the workability and durability of polymer composite concrete. Chapter 2 explores the use of polymer nanocomposites in packaging, including smart/intelligent packaging, modified atmosphere packaging, and vacuum packaging. Chapter 3 delves into the use of polymer composites in tissue engineering, including manufacturing techniques and various applications. Chapter 4 explores energy storage applications for polymer composites, while Chapter 5 discusses their use in microbial fuel cells. Chapter 6 explores the use of carbon nanotubes in polymer composite gas sensors. Finally, Chapter 7 discusses the use of polymer composites in automotive applications. This is an ideal reference for researchers, scientists, engineers, and professionals in the fields of materials science, polymer science, engineering, and nanotechnology. The content is also suitable for graduate and postgraduate students studying industrial manufacturing.

With rapid technological developments and lifestyle advancements, electronic sensors are being seamlessly integrated into many devices. This comprehensive handbook explores current, state-of-the-art developments in flexible and wearable sensor technology and its future challenges. Numerous recent efforts have improved the sensing capability and functionality of flexible and wearable sensors. However, there are still many challenges in making them super-smart by incorporating features such as self-power, self-healing, and multifunctionality. These features can be developed with the use of multifunctional nanostructured materials, unique architectural designs, and other advanced technologies. This book provides details about the recent advancements, materials, and technologies used for flexible and wearable sensors. Its wide range of topics addresses the fundamentals of flexible and wearable sensors, their working principles, and their advanced applications. This handbook provides new directions to scientists, researchers, and students to better understand the principles, technologies, and applications of sensors in healthcare, energy, and the environment.

Vat Photopolymerization 3D Printing: Processes, Materials, and Applications focuses on the cutting-edge vat polymerization additive manufacturing technology, as well as its associated materials and potential applications. The book is divided into four parts, with the first providing some foundational concepts about the technology as well as providing background on the different vat photopolymerization techniques, such as grayscale, volumetric, multiwavelength, two-photon and more. The basic chemistry involved in the vat photopolymerization process is covered here as well. Section 2 discusses vat photopolymerization 3D printing of functional materials, including plastics, hydrogels, stimuli-responsive polymers, ceramics, and more. Section 3 covers various applications of the materials created, and the book concludes with a section looking at the future direction of vat photopolymerization 3D printing. - Provides a detailed introduction to the technology, materials, and applications of vat photopolymerization additive manufacturing (AM) - Discusses the basic chemistry in the vat photopolymerization process, including chemical reactions, ink components, functional additives, inhibitors, and more - Covers techniques for creating plastics, hydrogels, shape memory polymers, ceramics, and more - Details applications in bioengineering, engineering, metamaterials, and bio-inspired structures and functions