High-performance, thin-film thermoelectric generator with self-healing ability for body-heat harvesting
Shuaihang Hou, Yijie Liu, Yi Luo, Xiaodong Wang, Li Yin, Xiaoyu Sun, Zuoxu Wu, Jian Wang, Mancang Li, Zhiyu Chen, Yu Wang, Jiehe Sui, Jun Mao, Xingjun Liu, Qian Zhang, Feng Cao
Abstract
Flexible thermoelectric generators (TEGs) are attractive for their ability to power wearable electronics utilizing the temperature difference between the human body and the environment. Here, we present a self-healing flexible TEG assembled with high-performance Ag 2 Se films. A room temperature power factor (PF) as high as 20.8 μW cm −1 K −2 is obtained via isoelectronic copper doping. The relative resistance change of the film is less than 5% of the initial value after 1,000 bending cycles, and the resistance of the Ag 2 Se film recovers to its initial value within a few hours of the bending test. The 6-leg flexible TEG demonstrates a maximum power density of 80 W m −2 at a temperature difference of 50 K. An output voltage of 1.5–2.8 mV can be achieved on the arm in different motion states. These results demonstrate the promising application of Ag 2 Se-based flexible TEGs for wearable electronics.