5:00 PM - EP13.08.22
Superior Performance Bi2Te3/PEDOT:PSS Composite for Three-Dimensionally Printed Flexible Thermoelectric Generators
Shuping Lin1,Wei Zeng1,Lisha Zhang1,Xiaoming Tao1
Hong Kong Polytechnic University1
Show Abstract
Flexible, lightweight, solution-processible thermoelectric (TE) generators with high room- or low-temperature performance are much desirable in energy harvesting for wearable microelectronics, active microclimate controlling systems and waste heat utilization.[1-3] However, the thermoeletric generators (TEGs) are facing decades of transformation. Up-to-date, there has been a shortage of thermoelectric materials that can be used for such applications. Hooking up these rigid semiconductors to flexible device technology won’t be straightforward.[1-5] To address the problems of the limitation of flexible TE materials, we develop a superior room-temperature performance of Bi2Te3/PEDOT:PSS inorganic-organic thermoelectric composites, which are suitable for printed three-dimensionally flexible thermoelectric generators.[5] For the materials, the Seebeck coefficient of the optimized TE composite is 273.3 µV/K at room temperature, reaching that of pure Bi2Te3, representing the highest value for BixTey/PEDOT:PSS composites reported so far. The corresponding power factor and ZT is 473.5 µW/m×K2and 0.4, respectively. Futhermore, the flexible TEGs were fabricated by three-dimensionally 3D printing on aramid paper and PDMS substrates, respectively. The paper-based thermoelectric generator can produce a higher output power of 30.8 mW, specific power density of 12.3 mWg-1and areal power density of 20.5 mW/cm2working at under 70 K temperature difference. More importantly, the variation in electric resistance of the PDMS-based flexible TEG is negligible even after 100,000 bending cycles up to 2.5 cm-1curvature, demonstrating the excellent flexibility and durability of the resultant flexible thermoelectric generator. Therefore, these solution-processible, soft and flexible inorgnic-organic composites offer unique advantages that are not available to their rigid counterparts. The methods and findings in this work pave a way to produce high-performance flexible thermoelectric generators for wearable electronic systems, waste heat harvesting and active microclimate control systems.
Acknowledgement
The work has been partially supported by Research Grants Council of Hong Kong SAR Government (grant no: BBA3) and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
References:
[1] Zeng, W.; Tao, X.M.; Lin, S.P.; Lee, C.; Shi, D.L.; Lam, K.H.; Huang, B.L.; Wang, Q.M.; Zhao, Y.; Nano Energy 2018.54,163-174.
[2] Zhang, L.S.; Lin, S.P.; Hua, T.; Huang, B.L.; Liu, S.R.; Tao, X.M.; Adv Energy Mater, 20188(5), 1700524.
[3] Zeng, W.; Shu, L.; Li, Q.; Chen, S.; Wang, F.; Tao, X. M. Adv Mater 2014, 26, 5310-5336.
[4] Zeng, W.; Tao, X. M.; Chen, S.; Shang, S. M.; Chan, H. L. W.; Choy, S. H. Energ Environ Sci 2013, 6, 2631-2638.
[5] Lin, S.P.; Tao, X.M.; Lam, K.H.; Huang, B.L.; Zhang, L.S.; Yeung, K.W.; Zeng, W.; Xu, J.T.; Shi, D.L.; Liu, J.; Liu, S.; Yang, B.;2019, submitted.