Stabilized compositions of conductive polymers and partially fluorinated acid polymers

1. An electrically conductive polymer composition consisting of an electrically conductive polymer formed from at least one precursor monomer selected from the group consisting of thiophenes, selenophenes, and tellurophenes, and a partially-fluorinated water-soluble acid polymer, wherein at least 50% of acid protons on the partially-fluorinated acid polymer are replaced with cations selected from the group consisting of inorganic cations, organic cations, and combinations thereof.

2. The conductive composition of claim 1 wherein the thiophene, selenophene and tellurophene precursor monomers comprise Formula I or Formula I(a) below:

wherein:

Q is selected from the group consisting of S, Se, and Te;

R 1 is independently selected so as to be the same or different at each occurrence and is selected from hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, alkanoyl, alkythio, aryloxy, alkylthioalkyl, alkylaryl, arylalkyl, amino, alkylamino, dialkylamino, aryl, alkylsulfinyl, alkoxyalkyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylthio, arylsulfinyl, alkoxycarbonyl, arylsulfonyl, acrylic acid, phosphoric acid, phosphonic acid, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxyl, epoxy, silane, siloxane, alcohol, benzyl, carboxylate, ether, ether carboxylate, amidosulfonate, ether sulfonate, ester sulfonate, and urethane; or both R 1 groups together may form an alkylene or alkenylene chain completing a 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7-membered aromatic or alicyclic ring, which ring may optionally include one or more divalent nitrogen, selenium, tellurium, or oxygen atoms; and

wherein:

Q is selected from the group consisting of S, Se, and Te;

R 7 is the same or different at each occurrence and is selected from hydrogen, alkyl, heteroalkyl, alkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alcohol, amidosulfonate, benzyl, carboxylate, ether, ether carboxylate, ether sulfonate, ester sulfonate, and urethane, with the proviso that at least one R 7 is not hydrogen, and

m is 2 or 3.

3. The conductive composition of claim 2 wherein, in the precursor monomer of Formula I, both R 1 together form —O—(CHY) m —O—, where m is 2 or 3, and Y is the same or different at each occurrence and is selected from hydrogen, halogen, alkyl, alcohol, amidosulfonate, benzyl, carboxylate, ether, ether carboxylate, ether sulfonate, ester sulfonate, and urethane, where the Y groups may be partially or fully fluorinated.

4. The conductive composition of claim 2 wherein, in the precursor monomer of Formula I(a), m is two, one R 7 is an alkyl group of more than 5 carbon atoms, and all other R 7 are hydrogen, and the alkyl group may be partially or fully fluorinated.

5. The conductive composition of claim 1 wherein the partially-fluorinated acid polymer comprises Formula XV:

where j≧0, k≧0 and 4≦(j+k)≦199, Q 1 and Q 2 are F or H, R f 2 is F or a perfluoroalkyl radical having 1-10 carbon atoms either unsubstituted or substituted by one or more ether oxygen atoms, h=0 or 1, i=0 to 3, and g=0 or 1.

6. The conductive composition of claim 1 wherein the partially-fluorinated acid polymer is dispersible in water.

7. The conductive composition of claim 1 wherein the partially-fluorinated acid polymer is colloid-forming.

8. The conductive composition of claim 1 , wherein the conducting polymer is doped with the partially-fluorinated acid polymer.

9. The conductive composition of claim 1 , wherein the cations are selected from the group consisting of ammonium ions, alkylammonium ions, sodium ions, potassium ions, partially oxidized polyaniline, and combinations thereof.

10. A buffer composition comprising a conductive composition of claim 1 .

11. A buffer layer comprising a conductive composition of claim 1 .