PEDOT:PSS and Ni-based thermoelectric generator for solar thermal energy conversion

Abstract

The search for an inexpensive and effective way to improve the thermoelectric properties of organic materials could greatly expand the practical applications of a thermoelectric thin film generator. Here, we adopt a triple treatment of ethylene glycol ((CH₂OH)₂), ethanol (C₂H₅OH) doping and (CH₂OH)₂ dedoping to tune the micro stacking structure of PEDOT:PSS. The obtained PEDOT:PSS thermoelectric film material has a highest power factor (PF) of up to 330.597 μW m⁻¹, which stems from the high Seebeck coefficient (S) and conductivity (σ). Furthermore, we fabricated a thermoelectric generator to explore the photothermal conversion process of the solar energy. The maximum power output of the home-made module device with solar energy as the heat source reached 9.8 nW. This work is a prospective experiment for the development of solar photothermal conversion based on such a thin film and device.