Facile Preparation and Thermoelectric Properties of Bi₂Te₃ Based Alloy Nanosheet/PEDOT:PSS Composite Films

Abstract

Bi2Te3 based alloy nanosheet (NS)/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) composite films were prepared separately by spin coating and drop casting techniques. The drop cast composite film containing 4.10 wt % Bi2Te3 based alloy NSs showed electrical conductivity as high as 1295.21 S/cm, which is higher than that (753.8 S/cm) of a dimethyl sulfoxide doped PEDOT:PSS film prepared under the same condition and that (850-1250 S/cm) of the Bi2Te3 based alloy bulk material. The composite film also showed a very high power factor value, ∼32.26 μWm(-1) K(-2). With the content of Bi2Te3 based alloy NSs increasing from 0 to 4.10 wt %, the electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient of the composite films increase simultaneously.

Flexible thermoelectric materials and device optimization for wearable energy harvesting

“…Zhang et al [63] drop-casted PEDOT:PSS on top of each n-type and p-type Bi 2 Te 3 film made of ball-milled nanopowders to achieve enhancements in the effective power factors for both types: ~ 130 µW m -1 K -2 (σ ~ 60 S cm -1 , S ~ 150 µV K -1 ) for p-type, and ~ 86 µW m -1 K -2 (σ ~ 60 S cm -1 , S ~ -120 µV K -1 ) for ntype. Du et al [19] incorporated varying contents of exfoliated Bi 2 Te 3 nanosheets into PEDOT:PSS to optimize the power factor up to ~ 30 µW m -1 K -2 . They also tried to stir Bi 2 Te 3 nanopowders in PEDOT:PSS solution to disperse the nanoparticles in the polymer matrix, but the film was easily delaminated due to the large hydrophilic surface area of the Bi 2 Te 3 particles.…”

“…A high efficiency thermoelectric material needs to be electrically highly conductive while thermally poorly conductive, as represented in the material figure of merit, ZT = S 2 σT/κ, where S is the Seebeck coefficient, σ is the electrical conductivity, T is the absolute temperature, and κ the is thermal conductivity. [14,15] Polymer-based nanocomposites with carbon nanotubes [16,17] and inorganic nanostructures [18,19] also showed enhanced power factors. Recently, conjugated polymers have been intensely studied for thermoelectric energy conversion because of their intrinsically low thermal conductivities, easy doping to achieve very high electrical conductivities, as well as their own advantages such as flexibility, material abundance, lightweight, and solution processability.…”

In-situ fabrication and enhanced thermoelectric properties of carbon nanotubes filled poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) composites

“…The ZT value approaches the value required for efficient devices. In addition, in order to use the good TE properties of inorganic TE nanomaterials, many works have also been carried out on adding inorganic TE nanomaterials into PEDOT matrix [19][20][21][22][23]. For example, A film consisting of PEDOT:PSS functionalized Te nanorods prepared directly from water was reported by See et al [21], and the ZT value of the hybrid film reached about 0.1 at RT.…”

Flexible n-Type Tungsten Carbide/Polylactic Acid Thermoelectric Composites Fabricated by Additive Manufacturing

“…Both conducting and non-conducting polymers have been used for TE materials. Attention has also been paid to polymer-based TE composites, such as Te/poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) [9], Bi 2 Te 3 /PEDOT:PSS [10], SnSe/PEDOT:PSS [11], carbon nanotube/poly(vinyl acetate) [12], and single-walled carbon nanotubes/polyaniline [13]. Using traditional methods, e.g., physical mixing [14], solution mixing [15], and in situ polymerization [16,17], the preparation of polymer-based TE composites tends to cause oxidation and uneven dispersion in the polymer matrices [3], which influences the TE properties of the polymer-based composites.…”

“…Using traditional methods, e.g., physical mixing [14], solution mixing [15], and in situ polymerization [16,17], the preparation of polymer-based TE composites tends to cause oxidation and uneven dispersion in the polymer matrices [3], which influences the TE properties of the polymer-based composites. The TE properties of polymers and polymer-based TE composites have been greatly enhanced [9][10][11], with ZT values up to 0.42 having been achieved [18]. However, these polymer-based TE materials and composites are mainly p-type.…”