Preparation and thermoelectric properties of SWCNT/PEDOT:PSS coated tellurium nanorod composite films.

Abstract In this work, single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT)/PEDOT:PSS coated Te nanorod (PC-Te) composite films were prepared by a simple vacuum assisted filtration method, and H 2 SO 4 treatment was employed to improve the thermoelectric performance of the composite films. The addition of SWCNTs apparently improved the electrical conductivity while reduced the Seebeck coefficient of the composite films, resulting in a reduction of the power factor. After treated with H 2 SO 4 , the electrical conductivity of the composite films was further improved, and the Seebeck coefficient decreased slightly. As a consequence, an optimized power factor of 104 μW/mK2 (corresponding to the electrical conductivity of 332 S/cm and Seebeck coefficient of 56 μV/K, respectively) was obtained for the sample containing 70 wt% SWCNTs at 300 K. A flexible thermoelectric generator prototype was fabricated to demonstrate the output properties. The open circuit voltage and maximum output power delivered from the prototype were 5.6 mV and 53.6 nW, respectively, at a temperature difference of 44 K. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • SWCNT/PEDOT:PSS coated Te nanorod composite films were prepared. • Electrical conductivity of the films increased with the addition of SWCNT. • Sulfuric acid treatment improved the thermoelectric performance of the composite films. • An optimized power factor of 104 μW/mK2 was obtained at 300 K. • A flexible thermoelectric power generator prototype was fabricated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]