Abstract
In this study, we prepared Te nanorod arrays via a galvanic displacement reaction (GDR) on a Si wafer, and their composite with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) were successfully synthesized by electrochemical polymerization with lithium perchlorate (LiClO4) as a counter ion. The thermoelectric performance of the composite film was optimized by adjusting the polymerization time. As a result, a maximum power factor (PF) of 235 µW/mK2 was obtained from a PEDOT/Te composite film electrochemically polymerized for 15 s at room temperature, which was 11.7 times higher than that of the PEDOT film, corresponding to a Seebeck coefficient (S) of 290 µV/K and electrical conductivity (σ) of 28 S/cm. This outstanding PF was due to the enhanced interface interaction and carrier energy filtering effect at the interfacial potential barrier between the PEDOT and Te nanorods. This study demonstrates that the combination of an inorganic Te nanorod array with electrodeposited PEDOT is a promising strategy for developing high-performance thermoelectric materials.
Highlights
Most of the world’s power is produced by combustion engines that use fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas as an energy source
The thermoelectric performance is defined in terms of the dimensionless figure-of-merit ZT, S2σT/κ, where S is the Seebeck coefficient, σ is the electrical conductivity, κ is the thermal conductivity, and T is the absolute temperature
Te nanostructures, including nanowires, nanorods, and nanotubes, can be synthesized using the galvanic displacement reaction (GDR), which is a spontaneous electrochemical reaction driven by the difference in redox potentials between a sacrificial material and noble metal ions in solution [17]
Summary
Most of the world’s power is produced by combustion engines that use fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas as an energy source. These materials are typically expensive, less abundant, and inherently brittle, which restricts their usage for a wide range and large-scale applications [4] To overcome these problems, organic conducting polymers such as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and polyaniline (PANI) are considered as thermoelectric materials because they have numerous advantages, including low cost, low density, high flexibility, and simple process, allowing for a wide range of potential applications. Te nanostructures, including nanowires, nanorods, and nanotubes, can be synthesized using the galvanic displacement reaction (GDR), which is a spontaneous electrochemical reaction driven by the difference in redox potentials between a sacrificial material and noble metal ions in solution [17] This technique has advantages such as cost effectiveness, high throughput, and ability to control the crystal structure, morphology, and crystallinity of the material. Materials 2022, 15, 148 Materials 2022, 15, 148 composite films were characterized, and their thermoelectric properties, such as S and PF, were systemically investigated at room temperature (RT)
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