Conductive polymer gel and process for producing the same actuator, patch label for ion introduction, bioeletrode, toner, conductive functional member antistatic sheet, printed circuit member, conductive paste, electrode for fuel cell, and fuel cell

• US 20060057451A1
• Filed: 01/27/2004
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toppan Forms Company Limited (TOPPAN Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Toppan Forms Company Limited (TOPPAN Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Endo, Yasuhiro, Ishihara, Masayoshi, Takahashi, Yuya, Okuzaki, Hidenori
• Granted Patent: US 7,795,335 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 524/379
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2300/12 Polymers characterised by physical features, e.g. anisotropy, viscosity or electrical conductivity
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2381/00 Characterised by the use of macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions forming in the main chain of the macromolecule a linkage containing sulfur with or without nitrogen, oxygen, or carbon only; Polysulfones; Derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 3/075 Macromolecular gels
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 65/00 Compositions of macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions forming a carbon-to-carbon link in the main chain C08L7/00 - C08L57/00, C08L61/00 take precedence; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 5/24 Electrically-conducting paints conductive materials H01B1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/122 Ionic conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/8605 Porous electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/8668 Binders
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/8673 Electrically conductive fillers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/92 Metals of platinum group H01M4/94 , H01M4/9058 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/926 on carbon or graphite
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1004 characterised by membrane-electrode assemblies [MEA] H01M8/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A conductive polymer gel contains water, as a main component, a conductive conjugated polymer, and a surfactant and/or an alcohol, and also it may contain an electrolyte. The conductive conjugated polymer may further be doped with a dopant. The conductive polymer gel is obtained by adding a surfactant and/or an alcohol to a conductive conjugated polymer colloidal dispersion and/or a conductive conjugated polymer solution and leaving the mixture to stand, thereby to gelatinize the mixture.

Claims

1. A conductive polymer gel comprising water as a main component, a conductive conjugated polymer, and at least one of a surfactant and an alcohol.

2. The conductive polymer gel according to claim 1, which further contains an electrolyte.

3. The conductive polymer gel according to claim 1, wherein the conductive conjugated polymer is doped with a dopant.

4. The conductive polymer gel according to claim 1, wherein the conductive conjugated polymer is polypyrrole or polythiophene.

5. The conductive polymer gel according to claim 3, wherein the dopant is polystyrenesulfonic acid.

6. The conductive polymer gel according to claim 1, which contains alkylbenzenesulfonic acid as the surfactant.

7. The conductive polymer gel according to claim 1, which contains at least one of a monohydric alcohol having 3 or more carbon atoms and a polyhydric alcohol as the alcohol.

8. A method of producing a conductive polymer gel, which comprises the steps of:

adding at least one of a surfactant and an alcohol to at least one of a conductive conjugated polymer colloidal dispersion and a conductive conjugated polymer solution, and

leaving the resulting mixture to stand, thereby to gelatinize at least one of the conductive conjugated polymer colloidal dispersion and the conductive conjugated polymer solution.

9. An actuator comprising an actuator body made of a conductive polymer gel, wherein the conductive polymer gel contains water, as a main component, a conductive conjugated polymer, and at least one of a surfactant and an alcohol.

10. An iontophoretic patch label comprising a pad made of a conductive polymer gel, and a pair of electrodes provided on one surface of the pad at regular intervals,

wherein the conductive polymer gel contains water, as a main component, a conductive conjugated polymer, and at least one of a surfactant and an alcohol.

11. A biomedical electrode comprising an electrode device, and a member which electrically and physically connects the electrode device to an analyte, wherein the member is made of a conductive polymer gel and the conductive polymer gel contains water, as a main component, a conductive conjugated polymer, and at least one of a surfactant and an alcohol.

12. A toner comprising a core made of a conductive polymer gel, and a resin portion provided on the surface of the core, wherein the conductive polymer gel contains water, as a main component, a conductive conjugated polymer, and at least one of a surfactant and an alcohol.

13. The toner according to claim 12, wherein the conductive conjugated polymer is doped with a dopant.

14. A conductive functional member comprising a base material, and a conductive portion made of a toner provided on at least one surface of the base material,

wherein the toner comprises a core made of a conductive polymer gel, and a resin portion provided on the surface of the core, and

the conductive polymer gel contains water, as a main component, a conductive conjugated polymer, and at least one of a surfactant and an alcohol.

15. An antistatic sheet comprising a base material, and a conductive portion made of a toner provided on at least one surface of the base material,

wherein the conductive portion has a planar shape,

the toner comprises a core made of a conductive polymer gel, and a resin portion provided on the surface of the core, and

the conductive polymer gel contains water, as a main component, conductive conjugated polymer, and at least one of a surfactant and an alcohol.

16. A printed circuit member comprising a base material, and a conductive portion made of a toner provided on at least one surface of the base material,

wherein the conductive portion has a planar shape,

the toner comprises a core made of a conductive polymer gel, and a resin portion provided on the surface of the core, and

the conductive polymer gel contains water, as a main component, conductive conjugated polymer, and at least one of a surfactant and an alcohol.

17. A conductive paste comprising a conductive polymer gel, a conductive powder and a resin binder,

wherein the conductive polymer gel contains water, as a main component, a conductive conjugated polymer, and at least one of a surfactant and an alcohol.

18. The conductive paste according to claim 17, wherein the conductive conjugated polymer is doped with a dopant.

19. A conductive functional member comprising a base material, and a conductive portion made of a conductive paste provided on at least one surface of the base material,

wherein the conductive paste contains a conductive polymer gel, a conductive powder and a resin binder, and

the conductive polymer gel contains water, as a main component, a conductive conjugated polymer, and at least one of a surfactant and an alcohol.

20. A printed circuit member comprising a base material, and a conductive portion made of a conductive paste provided on at least one surface of the base material,

wherein the conductive paste contains a conductive polymer gel, a conductive powder and a resin binder, and

the conductive polymer gel contains water, as a main component, a conductive conjugated polymer, and at least one of a surfactant and an alcohol.

21. The printed circuit member according to claim 20, wherein an antenna is made of the linear conductive portion and an IC chip is connected to the antenna.

22. An electrode for fuel cell comprising a conductive polymer gel, wherein the conductive polymer gel contains water, as a main component, a conductive conjugated polymer, and at least one of a surfactant and an alcohol.

23. The electrode for fuel cell according to claim 22, wherein the conductive conjugated polymer is doped with a dopant.

24. A fuel cell comprising a power generation portion composed of one or more cells stacked with each other, each cell comprising first and second electrodes, and an electrolyte interposed between the electrodes, wherein at least one of the first and second electrodes contains a conductive polymer gel and the conductive polymer gel contains water, as a main component, a conductive conjugated polymer, and at least one of a surfactant and an alcohol.