IMPROVED THERMOELECTRIC PROPERTIES OF SELENIUM FUNCTIONALIZED PEDOT

Abstract

Polymer‐based chalcogenide composites are gaining attention for thermal energy storage thermoelectric (TE) applications due to their high Seebeck coefficient (S) and electrical conductivity (s), compared to low thermal conductivity of polymers without electrical optimization. This combination can enhance power factor and ZT while suppressing drawbacks. The energy‐filtering effect of polymer/chalcogenide interfaces may also improve TE performance, further enhancing the potential for improved TE applications. In this work, Poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) was functionalized with selenium (Se), and its structural and thermoelectric (TE) properties were studied. The variations of s and S, with higher percent of Se content, displays a simultaneous rise in both s and S values, which is noteworthy. The probable reason behind this increment of both s and S values is due to the improvement in charge transport in the composites due to a percolating network formed between the Se nanoparticles and PEDOT along with the carrier energy filtering interaction between PEDOT and Se. The highest room temperature ZT value obtained is 0.027 for 82 % of Se content in PEDOT, which is comparable with bulk nanostructured organic‐inorganic hybrid composite materials. This work presents an efficient technique for enhancing the TE properties of polymers through inorganic functionalization.