Conductive polymer composition, coated article, patterning process and substrate

A conductive polymer composition comprising:

• (A) a polyaniline-based conductive polymer having a repeating unit represented by the general formula (1);
• (B) a polyanion;
• (C) a betaine compound;
• and (D) water or solvent;
• wherein RA1 to RA4 independently represent a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, or a linear, branched, or cyclic monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms and optionally containing a heteroatom;
• and RA1 and RA2, or RA3 and RA4 may be bonded to each other to form a ring,
• wherein the component (C) is selected from the betaine compounds shown below,
• or betaine compounds represented by the general formula (3),
• wherein RB1 to RB3 independently represent a hydrogen atom, or a linear, branched, or cyclic monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms and optionally substituted by a heteroatom or optionally interposed by a heteroatom;
• RB1 and RB2, or RB1, RB2, and RB3 may be bonded to each other to form a ring with A+ in the formula;
• A+ is a heteroatom and represents a monovalent cation;
• k represents an integer of 2 to 8;
• L represents a carbon atom or a heteroatom, and may contain the both of them;
• RB4 and RB5 independently represent a hydrogen atom, or a linear, branched, or cyclic monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms and optionally interposed by a heteroatom;
• and RB4 and RB5 may be bonded to each other to form a ring.