Facile MWCNTs-SnSe/PEDOT:PSS ternary composite flexible thermoelectric films optimized by cold-pressing
Dan Liu, Zhuqing Yan, Yaxin Zhao, Zhidong Zhang, Yongqiu Zhen, Binzhen Zhang, Peng Shi, Chenyang Xue
Abstract
Flexible composite films with high power factors are the candidate for wearable energy harvesters, MWCNTs-SnSe/PEDOT:PSS ternary composite films were fabricated by a vacuum filtration method. The effects of cold-pressing on morphology, Raman spectra, and thermoelectric (TE) properties of the composite films were studied. For cold-pressed MSPPD10 ternary composite film, its conductivity and Seebeck coefficient both increase with increasing temperature. The results show that the PF is enhanced to 166.5 μW m−1 K−2 for the cold-pressed MSPPD10 ternary composite film, which is 2.8 times the MSPPD10 (59.35 μW m−1 K−2) composite film without cold-pressing treatment. Besides, the TE property of cold-pressed MSPPD10 ternary composite film is better than that of SnSe or MWCNTs combined with PEDOT:PSS. The cold-pressed MSPPD10 ternary composite film had excellent flexibility, and the resistance only increases 12% after 1000 bends on an iron rod with a radius of 4 mm. In addition, the TE generator consisting of 4-leg cold-pressed MSPPD10 ternary composite films has a maximum output power of 13.5 nW at a temperature gradient of 30 K, showing great potential for flexible TE applications.