A new teamwork of PEDOT:PSS and zinc peroxide decorated nitrogen doped graphene with high anisotropic thermoelectric functions

Abstract

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):Poly (styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) as an intrinsic conductive polymer has captured much curiosity since the discovery of its high thermoelectric (TE) functions. So, the progress on the enhancement of TE functions of PEDOT:PSS and its composite is still having much attention thanks to its unique merits such as flexibility, low toxicity, as well as its promising TE functions. Thus, in this work, we offer a new teamwork of PEDOT:PSS and Zinc peroxide adorned Nitrogen doped Graphene (PEDOT:PSS/ZnO2NG) to record high TE performance. This teamwork plays in harmony to record a high TE functions as; the doping of graphene (GN) with Nitrogen helps in reducing the thermal conductivity (κ) via the creation of interfaces and voids which lead to scattering the phonons. The decoration of ZnO2 on NG surface helps in increasing the electrical conductivity (σ) by the increase in carrier mobility and declining the κby reducing the stacking nature of NG layers. The anisotropic (through plane ⊥ and in plane //) TE functions have been recorded at 300 K. The system shows that the highest TE functions are achieved at ZnO2NG = 30 wt%. At this concentration, σ//∼1600.45 ± 62 S/cm and σ⊥∼1203.98 ± 56 S/cm have been achieved, thanks to the strong interactions among ZnO2NG and PEDOT:PSS; and the increase in carrier mobility. κ//∼0.47 ± 0.01 W/mK and κ⊥∼0.35 ± 0.01 W/mK have been achieved. The S//∼25.94 ± 0.6 μV/K and S⊥∼23.2 ± 0.59 μV/K have been achieved thanks to the decrease in the carrier concentration. The power factors (PF//∼107.69 ± 3 μW/mK2 and PF⊥∼64.80 ± 4 μW/mK2) have been achieved owing to the energy filtering effects at the interfaces. Accordingly, the obtained figure of merits (zT// ∼0.068 ± 0.001 and zT⊥∼0.055 ± 0.002) have been achieved which can compete the largest zT values when compared with similar systems. Finally, the obtained PEDOT:PSS/ZnO2NG system shows a promising TE functions which elects it to be functionalized in various technologies such as electronic, temperature sensing and wearable devices.