The rapid development of novel organic technologies has led to significant applications of the organic electronic devices such as light‐emitting diodes, solar cells, and field‐effect transistors. There is a great need for conducting polymers with high conductivity and transparency to act as the charge transport layer or electrical interconnect in organic devices. Poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrenesulfonic acid) (PEDOT:PSS), well‐known as the most remarkable conducting polymer, has this role owing to its good film‐forming properties, high transparency, tunable conductivity, and excellent thermal stability. In this Review, various of interesting physical and chemical approaches that can effectively improve the electrical conductivity of PEDOT:PSS are summarized, focusing especially on the mechanism of the conductivity enhancement as well as applications of PEDOT:PSS films. Prospects for future research efforts are also provided. It is expected that PEDOT:PSS films with high conductivity and transparency could be the focus of future organic electronic materials breakthroughs.
Because of their readiness and high power bandwidth, batteries are the preeminent source of power supply for portable electronics, but are subject to periodic recharging and replacement. Hence, a key challenge is to design suitable and sustainable power sources for portable electronic devices. Harvesting energy from the human body is suitable for providing consistent and uninterrupted energy for wearable electronic devices. The daily activities of a 68-kg adult can generate over 100 W of power, through breathing, heating, blood transport, and walking. [3] Thus, converting 1% of the power generated by the human body may be enough to support the work of most portable electronics. Various energy-harvesting technologies, such as, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), [4][5][6] piezoelectric nanogenerators, [7] and thermoelectric generators (TEGs), [8] have been developed to convert human energy (from human motion and body heat) into electricity. In line with recent developments in wearable electronics and e-skins, the use of a self-powered direct-current (DC) electric power supplier is inevitable for activating human body-adjustable electronic systems. [9] Among the various energy-autonomous devices, [10] only TEGs can permanently produce DC electric power without complex power managing components, and they are maintenance free. Moreover, solar energy and vibration-based energy harvesters areThe emergence of artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things has led to a growing demand for wearable and maintenance-free power sources. The continual push toward lower operating voltages and power consumption in modern integrated circuits has made the development of devices powered by body heat finally feasible. In this context, thermoelectric (TE) materials have emerged as promising candidates for the effective conversion of body heat into electricity to power wearable devices without being limited by environmental conditions. Driven by rapid advances in processing technology and the performance of TE materials over the past two decades, wearable thermoelectric generators (WTEGs) have gradually become more flexible and stretchable so that they can be used on complex and dynamic surfaces. In this review, the functional materials, processing techniques, and strategies for the device design of different types of WTEGs are comprehensively covered. Wearable self-powered systems based on WTEGs are summarized, including multi-function TE modules, hybrid energy harvesting, and all-in-one energy devices. Challenges in organic TE materials, interfacial engineering, and assessments of device performance are discussed, and suggestions for future developments in the area are provided. This review will promote the rapid implementation of wearable TE materials and devices in self-powered electronic systems.The ORCID identification number(s) for the author(s) of this article can be found under https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202102990.
Conducting polymer-based composite aerogel film is desired to be used as thermoelectric (TE) materials due to its good flexibility and ultralow thermal conductivity. Here, we proposed the simple freeze drying method to fabricate freestanding poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)-based aerogel films without any crosslinker addition. The evolutions of morphology and TE performance were systemically investigated with various organic solvent addition. Furthermore, a series of the PEDOT:PSS/tellurium nanowires (Te-NWs) composite aerogel films was prepared, and the relationship between the structure and the charge-transport mechanism of the binary complex system was explored based on series and parallel models. Finally, an efficient dimethyl sulfoxide-vapor annealing was employed to further optimize the TE performance of PEDOT:PSS/ Te-NWs composite aerogel films. The ZT value was estimated to be 2.0 × 10 −2 at room temperature. On the basis of the flexibility and highly enhanced TE performance, a prototype TE generator consisting of p-type PEDOT:PSS/Te-NWs aerogel films and n-type carbon nanotube fibers as legs has been fabricated with an acceptable output power of 1.28 μW at a temperature gradient of 60 K, which could be potentially applied in wearable electronics.
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