Correa D S, Medeiros E S, Oliveira J E, Paterno L G, Mattoso Luiz C
J Nanosci Nanotechnol. 2014 Sep;14(9):6509-27. doi: 10.1166/jnn.2014.9362.
Conjugated polymers are organic materials endowed with a π-electron conjugation along the polymer backbone that present appealing electrical and optical properties for technological applications. By using conjugated polymeric materials in the nanoscale, such properties can be further enhanced. In addition, the use of nanostructured materials makes possible miniaturize devices at the micro/nano scale. The applications of conjugated nanostructured polymers include sensors, actuators, flexible displays, discrete electronic devices, and smart fabric, to name a few. In particular, the use of conjugated polymers in chemical and biological sensors is made feasible owning to their sensitivity to the physicochemical conditions of its surrounding environment, such as chemical composition, pH, dielectric constant, humidity or even temperature. Subtle changes in these conditions bring about variations on the electrical (resistivity and capacitance), optical (absorptivity, luminescence, etc.), and mechanical properties of the conjugated polymer, which can be precisely measured by different experimental methods and ultimately associated with a specific analyte and its concentration. The present review article highlights the main features of conjugated polymers that make them suitable for chemical sensors. An especial emphasis is given to nanostructured sensors systems, which present high sensitivity and selectivity, and find application in beverage and food quality control, pharmaceutical industries, medical diagnosis, environmental monitoring, and homeland security, and other applications as discussed throughout this review.
共轭聚合物是一类有机材料，其沿着聚合物主链具有π电子共轭结构，展现出适用于技术应用的吸引人的电学和光学性质。通过在纳米尺度使用共轭聚合物材料，这些性质能够进一步增强。此外，使用纳米结构材料使得在微纳尺度上使器件小型化成为可能。共轭纳米结构聚合物的应用包括传感器、致动器、柔性显示器、分立电子器件和智能织物等等。特别地，由于共轭聚合物对其周围环境的物理化学条件（如化学成分、pH值、介电常数、湿度甚至温度）敏感，使得其在化学和生物传感器中的应用成为可能。这些条件的细微变化会导致共轭聚合物的电学（电阻率和电容）、光学（吸收率、发光等）和机械性能发生变化，这些变化可以通过不同的实验方法精确测量，并最终与特定的分析物及其浓度相关联。本综述文章重点介绍了共轭聚合物使其适用于化学传感器的主要特征。特别强调了纳米结构传感器系统，其具有高灵敏度和选择性，并在饮料和食品质量控制、制药行业、医学诊断、环境监测和国土安全等方面以及本综述中讨论的其他应用中得到应用。
