Flexible low-grade energy utilization devices based on high-performance thermoelectric polyaniline/tellurium nanorod hybrid films

• Published in: Journal of materials chemistry. A, Materials for energy and sustainability Materials for energy and sustainability, 2016-01, Vol.4 (9), p.3554-3559
• Main Authors: Wang, Y, Zhang, S. M, Deng, Y
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Coefficients; Conducting polymers; Devices; Energy use; Nanostructure; Tellurium; Thermal conductivity; Thermoelectricity
• ISSN: 2050-7488; 2050-7496
• DOI: 10.1039/c6ta01140c

With the growing global energy crisis, new methods of energy development and utilization have become the main solutions to energy issues. Solution based polymer thermoelectric (TE) generation technologies provide a low-cost and eco-friendly means of direct energy conversion from low-grade heat to electricity. By integrating high Seebeck coefficient tellurium nanorods with the conducting polymer polyaniline (PANI) to form PANI/Te hybrid films, well-matched nanoscale interfaces improve carrier transport properties yet keep the thermal conductivity at a rather low level of 0.2 W m −1 K −1 . Therefore, the originally mutual restricted parameters (electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient and thermal conductivity) finally reach an increase in the ZT value. The maximum power factor of the PANI/Te (70 wt%) composite film reached 105 μW m −1 K −2 at room temperature and further reached up to 146 μW m −1 K −2 at 463 K, and the ZT value increased from 0.156 at room temperature to 0.223 at 390 K, which are the highest values reported so far for PANI based TE materials. A screen-printing process was employed to fabricate in-plane power generation devices based on the high-performance PANI/Te hybrid films. A prototype device with 10 legs of PANI/Te-Ag could provide a maximum output voltage and output power of 29.9 mV and 0.73 μW, respectively at temperature gradient 40 K. The results evidently demonstrate a promising and economic route for conducting polymers to be applied in low-grade energy conversion utilization. Solution based polymer thermoelectric generation technologies provide a low-cost and eco-friendly means of direct energy conversion from low-grade heat to electricity.