Ag<sub>2</sub>Se/nylon self-supporting composite films for wearable photo-thermoelectric generators with high output characteristics

Skin is critical for shaping our interactions with the environment. The electronic skin (E-skin) has emerged as a promising interface for medical devices to replicate the functions of damaged skin. However, exploration of thermal perception, which is crucial for physiological sensing, has been limited. In this work, a multifunctional E-skin based on flexible thermoelectric Ag 2 Se films is proposed, which utilizes the Seebeck effect to replicate the sensory functions of natural skin. The E-skin can enable capabilities including temperature perception, tactile perception, contactless perception, and material recognition by analyzing the thermal conduction behaviors of various materials. To further validate the capabilities of constructed E-skins, a wearable device with multiple sensory channels was fabricated and tested for gesture recognition. This work highlights the potential for using flexible thermoelectric materials in advanced biomedical applications including health monitoring and smart prosthetics.

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Flexible Ag₂Se Thermoelectric Films Enable the Multifunctional Thermal Perception in Electronic Skins

Ma,

Pu,

et al. 2024

“…The flexible TE device used in this study is one that has been reported by us, 37 and the specific parameters are as follows: the device consists of four legs with length, width, and thickness of 16 mm, 4 mm, and 75 μm, respectively. The power factor and figure of merit (ZT) of the TE legs are 874.3 μW m −1 K −1 and 0.32.…”

Section: Preparation Of the Pcc For The Ptegmentioning

confidence: 99%

Designing Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) Polystyrene Sulfonate/Graphene Oxide/Graphene Nanosheet/Polyethylene Glycol Phase-Change Composites with Superior Thermal Management for Photo-thermoelectric Generators

Yang,

Jin,

Chen

et al. 2023

Self Cite

Recently, growing interest in self-powered devices has led to the invention of new energy conversion devices. Photo-thermoelectric generators (PTEGs) have rapidly developed for their ability to harvest both light and thermal energy, but these devices are overly dependent on the continuity of energy input and cannot sustain output in an emergency situation. In the current study, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS)/graphene oxide (GO)/graphene nanosheets (GNPs)/polyethylene glycol (PEG) phase-change composites (PCCs) were prepared with freeze-drying and vacuum-filling processes to acquire materials suitable for imparting energy storage characteristics to PTEGs. The melting and crystallization enthalpies of the PCCs fabricated based on the PEDOT:PSS/GO/GNP aerogels can reach 211.5 and 207.6 J g–1, respectively, which increase by nearly 5% compared with pure PEG, and the growth rate of thermal conductivity of the composites is as high as 262.7% (1.12 W m–1 K–1). Meanwhile, the excellent photothermal properties and high-temperature shape stability that pure PEG does not possess can also be imparted to PCCs by the aerogels. The PTEG assembled with PCCs and thermoelectric components can achieve a continuous output of over 1500 s after 300 s of light irradiation. After integrating the output of the device during the lamp on/off period, it is found that the total output of the device during the light-off period (8.4 V and 9.6 mW) can far exceed its total output during the light-on period (2.7 V and 4.4 mW). This work provides guidance for modulating the performance of PCCs and giving PTEGs the ability to operate under emergency or extremely harsh conditions and the prepared PTEGs are highly promising for practical use.

“…The method includes two main steps: (1) Ag 2 Se nanowires (NWs) were synthesized using Se NWs as a template; (2) the NWs were vacuum-filtrated on nylon and then hot-pressed at 200 °C. Since then, flexible Ag 2 Se films have received increasing attention, and much progress has been made in recent years. − We have also done a series of improvements based on the flexible Ag 2 Se films. − For instance, by increasing the reaction temperature for the synthesis of Ag 2 Se NWs from RT to 40 °C and other preparation processes being consistent with those in ref , an Ag 2 Se film was prepared with improved PF up to ∼1882 μW m –1 K –2 . Interestingly, Se nanoinclusions were observed in the film .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Nanoengineering Approach toward High Power Factor Ag₂Se/Se Composite Films for Flexible Thermoelectric Generators

Liu

et al. 2023

Herein, a flexible Ag 2 Se/Se composite film with a high power factor has been fabricated on a nylon membrane. The film has a high density and contains well-crystallized Ag 2 Se grains and embedded Se nanoinclusions, which exhibits not only excellent flexibility but also a comparably large room-temperature power factor and Seebeck coefficient of up to 2023 μW m −1 K −2 and −155 μV K −1 , respectively. The high Seebeck coefficient is ascribed to the energy-filtering effect as caused by the Se/Ag 2 Se heterointerface. The assembled flexible thermoelectric generator (4-leg) exhibits a maximum output power of 1135 nW and a power density of up to 16.4 W m −2 when the applied temperature difference is 30 K. This work offers a feasible method to design high-performance and lowcost flexible thermoelectric generators used for wearable electronics.