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This work is devoted to the development of epoxy-encapsulated zinc oxide-multiwalled carbon nanotubes (ZnO–MWCNT) hybrid nanostructured composites and the investigation of their thermoelectric performance in relation to the content of MWCNTs in the composite. For the preparation of nanocomposites, self-assembling Zn nanostructured networks were coated with a layer of dispersed MWCNTs and subjected to thermal oxidation. The resulting ZnO–MWCNT hybrid nanostructured networks were encapsulated in commercially available epoxy adhesive. It was found that encapsulation of ZnO–MWCNT hybrid networks in epoxy adhesive resulted in a simultaneous decrease in their electrical resistance by a factor of 20–60 and an increase in the Seebeck coefficient by a factor of 3–15, depending on the MWCNT content. As a result, the thermoelectric power factor of the epoxy-encapsulated ZnO–MWCNTs hybrid networks exceeded that of non-encapsulated networks by more than 3–4 orders of magnitude. This effect was attributed to the ZnO–epoxy interface's unique properties and to the MWCNTs' contribution. The processes underlying such a significant improvement of the properties of ZnO–MWCNT hybrid nanostructured networks after encapsulation in epoxy adhesive are discussed. In addition, a two-leg thermoelectric generator composed of epoxy-encapsulated ZnO–MWCNT hybrid nanocomposite as n-type leg and polydimethylsiloxane-encapsulated CuO–MWCNT hybrid nanocomposite as p-type leg characterized at room temperatures showed better performance at temperature difference 30 °C compared with the similar devices, thus proving the potential of the developed nanocomposites for applications in domestic waste heat conversion devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work is devoted to the fabrication of p-type polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based flexible thermoelectric composites using multiwall carbon nanotubes-antimony telluride (MWCNT-Sb2Te3) hybrid filler, the study of the thermoelectrical and mechanical properties of these composites, and the application of these composites in two types (planar and radial) of thermoelectric generators (TEG) in combination with the previously reported PVA/MWCNT-Bi2Se3 flexible thermoelectric composites. While the power factors of PVA/MWCNT-Sb2Te3 and PVA/MWCNT-Bi2Se3 composites with 15 wt.% filler were found to be similar, the PVA/MWCNT-Sb2Te3 composite with 25 wt.% filler showed a ~2 times higher power factor in comparison with the PVA/MWCNT-Bi2Se3 composites with 30 wt.% filler, which is attributed to its reduced electrical resistivity. In addition, developed PVA/MWCNT-Sb2Te3 composites showed a superior mechanical, electrical, and thermoelectric stability during 100 consequent bending cycles down to a 3 mm radius, with insignificant fluctuations of the resistance within 0.01% of the initial resistance value of the not bent sample. Demonstrated for the first time, 2-leg TEGs composed from p-type PVA/MWCNT-Sb2Te3 and n-type PVA/MWCNT-Bi2Se3 composites showed a stable performance under different external loads and showed their potential for applications involving low temperature gradients and power requirements in the range of nW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the viscoelastic properties of new hybrid hydrogels containing poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC), bovine serum albumin (BSA) and reduced glutathione (GSH). After heating the mixture at 55 °C, in the presence of GSH, a weak network is formed due to partial BSA unfolding. By applying three successive freezing/thawing cycles, a stable porous network structure with elastic properties is designed, as evidenced by SEM and rheology. The hydrogels exhibit self-healing properties when the samples are cut into two pieces; the intermolecular interactions are reestablished in time and therefore the fragments repair themselves. The effects of the BSA content, loaded deformation and temperature on the self-healing ability of hydrogels are presented and discussed through rheological data. Due to their versatile viscoelastic behavior, the properties of PVA/HPC/BSA hydrogels can be tuned during their preparation in order to achieve suitable biomaterials for targeted applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research is devoted to the fabrication of polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) based n-type thermoelectric composites with innovative hybrid bismuth selenide-multiwalled carbon nanotube (Bi2Se3-MWCNT) fillers for application in flexible thermoelectric devices. Hybrid fillers were synthesized by direct deposition of Bi2Se3 on multiwalled carbon nanotubes using a physical vapor deposition method, thus ensuring direct electrical contact between the carbon nanotubes and Bi2Se3. The Seebeck coefficient of prepared PVOH/Bi2Se3-MWCNT composites was found to be comparable with that for the Bi2Se3 thin films, reaching −100 µV·K−1 for the composite with 30 wt.% filler, and fluctuations of the resistance of these composites did not exceed 1% during 100 repetitive bending cycles down to 10 mm radius, indicating the good mechanical durability of these composites and proving their high potential for application in flexible thermoelectrics. In addition, other properties of the fabricated composites that are important for the use of polymer-based materials such as thermal stability, storage modulus and linear coefficient of thermal expansion were found to be improved in comparison with the neat PVOH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]