Wearable thermoelectric generator with vertically aligned PEDOT:PSS and carbon nanotubes thermoelements for energy harvesting
Md. Nazibul Hasan, Muhammad Izzudin Ahmad Asri, Tanveer Saleh, Asan G. A. Muthalif, Mohamed Sultan Mohamed Ali
Abstract
Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) facilitate maintenance-free sustainable energy transduction, making them attractive and feasible options for self-powered wearable electronics. Nonetheless, their energy-conversion process suffers from inadequate design and rigidity owing to the use of brittle inorganic materials, making them inapt for wearable applications. Thus, the development of a TEG made of flexible materials with high deformability is required. In this study, a novel wearable TEG was designed and fabricated with vertically aligned p-type PEDOT:PSS and n-type SWCNT film-based thermoelements. Finite element analysis was used to optimize the thermoelement length, which was essential for enhancing the overall TEG output performance. This study also examined the effects of acid-based post-treatment and polyethylenimine concentration on the thermoelectric properties of PEDOT:PSS and SWCNT films, respectively. As a proof of concept, the proposed TEG, composed of five pairs of thermoelements, generated an open-circuit voltage of 1.75 mV while produced a maximum power and a power density of ~6.1 nW and 10.17 nWcm−2, respectively, at a ΔT of 11.24°C by harvesting energy from the wrist. The proposed design represents a significant step toward developing a next-generation flexible organic TEG that can pave the way for self-powered wearable electronics in a sustainable manner utilizing body heat.