Flexible Bi–Te-based alloy nanosheet/PEDOT:PSS thermoelectric power generators

Abstract

Herein, Bi–Te-based alloy nanosheet/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) thermoelectric nanocomposite films were prepared by a vacuum filtration method after exfoliating Bi–Te-based alloy particles into nanosheets. Subsequently, flexible thermoelectric power generators were prepared by connecting the as-prepared Bi–Te-based alloy nanosheet/PEDOT:PSS nanocomposite strips (25 mm × 5 mm) in series using silver paint on polyimide substrates. As the number of Bi–Te-based alloy nanosheet/PEDOT:PSS nanocomposite strips increased from 1 to 5, the generated voltage and maximum output power of the flexible thermoelectric generators increased. A flexible power generator consisting of 5 nanocomposite strips could generate the voltage output of 4.8 mV and the maximum output power of 16.9 nW at the temperature difference of 47.2 K. The resistances of the as-prepared flexible thermoelectric generators were very stable (<4%), even after these generators were bent over 100 times at different bending radii (27.5 mm or 13.6 mm) and in different directions (along the strip length direction or perpendicular to the strip length direction).