Free-Standing PEDOT-PSS/Ca3Co4O9 Composite Films as Novel Thermoelectric Materials

• Published in: Journal of electronic materials 2011-05, Vol.40 (5), p.948-952
• Main Authors: Liu, Congcong, Jiang, Fengxing, Huang, Mingyu, Lu, Baoyang, Yue, Ruirui, Xu, Jingkun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Conductivity phenomena in semiconductors and insulators; Electronic transport in condensed matter; Electronics; Electronics and Microelectronics; Exact sciences and technology; Instrumentation; Materials; Materials Science; Optical and Electronic Materials; Physics; Solid State Physics; Thermoelectric and thermomagnetic effects
• ISSN: 0361-5235; 1543-186X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11664-010-1465-0

Free-standing poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT- PSS)/Ca 3 Co 4 O 9 composite films have been successfully prepared by mechanically blending Ca 3 Co 4 O 9 powder and PEDOT-PSS solution (Baytron P) and casting the mixed solution on polypropylene (PP) film substrates. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) characterization indicated that the Ca 3 Co 4 O 9 particles were in the shape of sheets and composited well together with PEDOT-PSS. Thermoelectric (TE) measurements revealed that the Seebeck coefficient can be improved by increasing the Ca 3 Co 4 O 9 content in the composite films, with the largest enhancement being 24.8% compared with a free-standing PEDOT-PSS film. However, it is also shown that the power factor of the composite films decreases with increasing Ca 3 Co 4 O 9 content, mainly due to the decline of electrical conductivity and the limited improvement of the Seebeck coefficient.