Thermoelectric bismuth telluride nanostructures fabricated by electrodeposition within flexible templates

Abstract

Bismuth telluride, a highly efficient thermoelectric material, stands out for applications around room temperature in wearable devices. By harnessing the thermal gradient established between the human body and ambient temperature, we can generate useable electricity. Notably, bismuth telluride nanostructures exhibit significantly lower thermal conductivities compared to their bulk counterparts. As a result, the thermoelectric efficiency achieved is notably higher. Our research focuses on developing efficient nanostructured materials based on bismuth telluride inside a flexible substrate made of polyester. We employ scalable methods, such as template-assisted electrochemical deposition, to fabricate these nanostructures. In this study, we present an approach to the development of flexible nanostructured thermoelectric materials. Despite using a reduced quantity of active material, our electrochemically deposited nanostructures inside a flexible template demonstrate a remarkable performance. They exhibit 24 % of the Power Factor reported for conventional electrochemically fabricated Bi2Te3 thin films, and notably, they even surpass the Power Factor reported for flexible Bi2Te3-based inks used in the creation of flexible generators. This achievement underscores the potential of our method in the advancement of efficient, flexible thermoelectric devices.