Conducting-polymer-based chemical sensors: Transduction mechanisms

Conducting organic polymers show great promise as sensory materials. The transport of charge in these systems imparts the ability to attain high sensitivity to analytes of interest. This contribution reviews a number of different mechanisms by which analytes can interact with organic conducting polymers to create changes in their resistivity. New sensor systems based upon triaryl-methyl carbocations are also reported for the first time. The design of specific molecular recognition can impart selectivity in this process and in addition the nature of the conducting polymer can also lead to selectivity for different analytes.