Compositing Nanostructured Polyaniline with Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes for High Thermoelectric Performance

Abstract

In the face of the growing energy crisis and demand on environmental protection, organic thermoelectric (TE) materials have been coming under the spotlight from global researchers as a potential countermeasure. However, there have been few studies on the relationship between the morphology of conductive polymers (CPs) and their TE performance. In this work, nanostructured polyaniline (PANI) was synthesized by interfacial polymerization with the addition of organic solvents of different polarities, including cyclohexane (CYH), carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), toluene (MB), dichloromethane (DCM), and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Physical mixing PANI with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) affords PANI/SWCNT composites. The composite of PANI nanobelts and 10 wt% SWCNTs achieves a power factor (PF) of 5.13 ± 0.56 μW m-1 K-2 at room temperature (RT). Spherical PANI doped with 50 wt% SWCNTs followed by pressing affords maximal room temperature PF value of 178.10 ± 3.77 μW m-1 K-2. A prototype TE generator (TEG) constructed with seven pairs of legs of as-prepared PANI/SWCNT composites and their n-type counterparts generates voltage of 10.27 ± 0.15 mV and output power of 36.65 ± 1.18 nW at temperature difference of about 50°C. This work illustrates that well-regulated PANI nanostructure could significantly affect the TE properties of PANI/SWCNT composites, which are promising in future preparation of high-performance polymer-based composites regarding the fabrication of TE devices suitable for harnessing low-grade waste heat.