Abstract
From car bumpers to bullet-proof vests – everyone is familiar with polymers as flexible yet mechanically strong materials. Less well known is the fact that some polymers can also conduct electricity and emit light. These semiconducting polymers, which have been intriguing researchers for the past 20 years, are now poised to enter the market-place. One of the most advanced applications lies in displays, where semiconducting polymers can be used as the active element in light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Philips, the Dutch electronics giant, has moved fastest to the market, and will commission a polymer-LED pilot production line at its factory in Heerlen in the Netherlands later this year. The firm will probably use the devices as back-lights for mobile phones and other portable electronic products. Another promising application of semiconducting polymers is in the field of photovoltaics, where they could be used as area detectors or solar cells.