High power factor n-type Ag2Se/SWCNTs hybrid film for flexible thermoelectric generator

Abstract

Flexible thermoelectric (TE) devices can generate electricity by harvesting low-grade heat from curved surfaces, which has great potential in the energy supply of flexible electronic and wearable sensing. Extensive research has focused on flexible TE materials based on conductive polymers due to their lightweight, but it is a huge challenge to obtain high performance and regulate conductivity type comparable to inorganic TE materials. Here, we report n-type Ag2Se/single-walled carbon nanotubes hybrid film with a high power factor ∼1030.7 μW m−1 K−2 and excellent flexibility at room temperature. Excellent mechanical and TE properties can be attributed to its network and nano-bridge structure. A TE prototype composed of six leg generates a voltage and a maximum output power of 24.8 mV and 725 nW respectively at a temperature gradient of 30 K. Our results provide insight into the design and fabrication of high-performance flexible hybrid films.