Enhancing thermoelectric properties of organic composites through hierarchical nanostructures.

ABSTRACT: Organic thermoelectric (TE) materials are very attractive due to easy processing, material abundance, and environmentally-benign characteristics, but their potential is significantly restricted by the inferior thermoelectric properties. In this work, noncovalently functionalized graphene with fullerene by π-π stacking in a liquid-liquid interface was integrated into poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) poly(styrenesulfonate). Graphene helps to improve electrical conductivity while fullerene enhances the Seebeck coefficient and hinders thermal conductivity, resulting in the synergistic effect on enhancing thermoelectric properties. With the integration of nanohybrids, the electrical conductivity increased from ~10,000 to ~70,000 S/m, the thermal conductivity changed from 0.2 to 2 W·K(-1)m(-1) w

SUBMITTER: Zhang K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3861799 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature