Graphene & 2D Systems Research @ IIT Madras: Highlights
Research Theme-4: Conducting Polymers - Electrical Transport in Soft Matter
* Conducting Polymers: - We study the wrinkle and crack dependent electrical transport in a popular conducting polymer PEDOT: PSS. An interesting, strain memory effect is realized in the system. Distinct 'wrinkle-dominated' and 'crack-dominated' transport regimes are observed in strained conducting polymer films. Read details in Biporjoy Sarkar et al 2017 Soft Matter 13 5437. It is also possible to engineer the substrate to generate isotropic transport under strain, see Biprojoy Sarkar et al 2018 AIP Conference Proceedings 1942 110036. In collaboration with Dr. Dillip Satapathy, we studied the swelling behavior of conducting polymers using X-ray reflectivity, Biporjoy Sarkar et al 2018 Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter 30 225101.
We further combined the crack-dependent electromechanical response as well as the vapor-induced swelling response of the conducting polymer, to develop a novel crack-based vapor sensor. This sensor substantially outperformed a commercial breath analyzer used by traffic police; the work has been filed for patent. Read more details: Nanostructuring mechanical cracks in a flexible conducting polymer thin film for ultra-sensitive vapor sensing, Biporjoy Sarkar, Dillip K. Satapathy and Manu Jaiswal, Nanoscale, 2019,11, 200-210.
* Review Article - Here is a link to a popular article on conducting polymers: Manu Jaiswal and R. Menon 2006 Polymer International 55 1371.