Recent advances, design guidelines, and prospects of flexible organic/inorganic thermoelectric composites

Abstract

Thermoelectrics can recover waste heat, environmental heat or heats from different sources and convert it to electricity. Inorganic or metal thermoelectrics have higher ZT values and efficiency; however, they are also expensive, rigid or have poor mechanical properties, and they contain toxic or rare elements. Organic thermoelectrics have low cost, flexible mechanical properties, and facile and rapid formation; however, they have very low ZT values and efficiency compared with inorganic materials. Organic–inorganic composite thermoelectrics can benefit from both properties and are also extremely competitive for commercial applications. This review will focus on flexible organic–inorganic composite thermoelectrics and devices as well as their challenges.