Issue 3, 2013

Thermoelectric composites of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and carbon nanotubes with a large power factor

Abstract

Composite films of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and single- as well as multi-walled carbon nanotubes are demonstrated to offer a competitive thermoelectric performance. The power factor significantly exceeds values obtained with either constituent alone provided that the conjugated polymer is sufficiently p-doped. The use of single-walled carbon nanotubes consistently results in a higher electrical conductivity with a maximum value above 103 S cm−1 and thus gives rise to a power factor of 25 ± 6 μW m−1 K−2 for a filler content of only 8 wt% and a maximum 95 ± 12 μW m−1 K−2 for 42–81 wt%. Moreover, a carbon nanotube content of 8–10 wt% does not compromise the low bulk thermal conductivity of the polymer matrix, which promises a high figure of merit of at least ZT > 10−2 at room-temperature. All samples are cast on plastic substrates, emphasising their suitability for large-area, flexible thermoelectric applications.

Graphical abstract: Thermoelectric composites of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and carbon nanotubes with a large power factor

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
07 Sep 2012
Accepted
18 Dec 2012
First published
24 Jan 2013

Energy Environ. Sci., 2013,6, 918-925

Thermoelectric composites of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and carbon nanotubes with a large power factor

C. Bounioux, P. Díaz-Chao, M. Campoy-Quiles, M. S. Martín-González, A. R. Goñi, R. Yerushalmi-Rozen and C. Müller, Energy Environ. Sci., 2013, 6, 918 DOI: 10.1039/C2EE23406H

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