biostudies-literatureLiu YScience and Technology Commission of Shanghai MunicipalityEuropean Research CouncilShanghai Municipal Education CommissionDeutsche ForschungsgemeinschaftDeutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation)National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaScience and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission)National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)2141https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC10923913biostudies-literatureUnknown15(1)Flexible thermoelectric devices show great promise as sustainable power units for the exponentially increasing self-powered wearable electronics and ultra-widely distributed wireless sensor networks. While exciting proof-of-concept demonstrations have been reported, their large-scale implementation is impeded by unsatisfactory device performance and costly device fabrication techniques. Here, we develop Ag₂Se-based thermoelectric films and flexible devices via inkjet printing. Large-area patterned arrays with microscale resolution are obtained in a dimensionally controlled manner by manipulating ink formulations and tuning printing parameters. Printed Ag₂Se-based films exhibit (00 l)-textured feature, and an exceptional power factor (1097 μWm^-1K^-2 at 377 K) is obtained by engineering the film composition and microstructure. Benefiting from high-resolution device integration, fully inkjet-printed Ag₂Se-based flexible devices achieve a record-high normalized power (2 µWK^-2cm^-2) and superior flexibility. Diverse application scenarios are offered by inkjet-printed devices, such as continuous power generation by harvesting thermal energy from the environment or human bodies. Our strategy demonstrates the potential to revolutionize the design and manufacture of multi-scale and complex flexible thermoelectric devices while reducing costs, enabling them to be integrated into emerging electronic systems as sustainable power sources.Nature communicationsFully inkjet-printed Ag₂Se flexible thermoelectric devices for sustainable power generation.PMC10923913101097876EXC-2082/1-39076171162175248202101070003E0011020JC1415200Wan SZuo WZhang KLemmer UFu YChen HZhang QWang LLiu YCao XJiang WHuang AWang YfalseFully inkjet-printed Ag₂Se flexible thermoelectric devices for sustainable power generation.Flexible thermoelectric devices show great promise as sustainable power units for the exponentially increasing self-powered wearable electronics and ultra-widely distributed wireless sensor networks. While exciting proof-of-concept demonstrations have been reported, their large-scale implementation is impeded by unsatisfactory device performance and costly device fabrication techniques. Here, we develop Ag₂Se-based thermoelectric films and flexible devices via inkjet printing. Large-area patterned arrays with microscale resolution are obtained in a dimensionally controlled manner by manipulating ink formulations and tuning printing parameters. Printed Ag₂Se-based films exhibit (00 l)-textured feature, and an exceptional power factor (1097 μWm^-1K^-2 at 377 K) is obtained by engineering the film composition and microstructure. Benefiting from high-resolution device integration, fully inkjet-printed Ag₂Se-based flexible devices achieve a record-high normalized power (2 µWK^-2cm^-2) and superior flexibility. Diverse application scenarios are offered by inkjet-printed devices, such as continuous power generation by harvesting thermal energy from the environment or human bodies. Our strategy demonstrates the potential to revolutionize the design and manufacture of multi-scale and complex flexible thermoelectric devices while reducing costs, enabling them to be integrated into emerging electronic systems as sustainable power sources.2024-01-01T00:00:00Z2024 Mar2025-04-22T00:58:25.292Z2025-04-05T19:50:22.774ZS-EPMC109239133845902410.1038/s41467-024-46183-1