A Promising Approach to Enhanced Thermoelectric Properties Using Carbon Nanotube Networks

Meng, Chuizhou; Liu, Changhong; Fan, Shoushan

doi:10.1002/adma.200902221

Cited by 450 publications

(361 citation statements)

References 34 publications

(26 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

345

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Their use can result in polymer composites with electrical conductivities up to 4×10 5 S/m as reported by Moriarty et al [22]. Relatively high filler loadings (>> 50 wt.%) can be realized [16], which result in quite high electrical conductivities [19,20,[23][24][25], while power factors being in the range of ~140 μW/mK -2 have been reported for single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) matrix [22]. However, such high filler loadings may result also in a significant increase of thermal conductivity [15,26,27].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 71%

“…In almost all of the corresponding studies, polymer/CNT nanocomposites have been fabricated by means of solution mixing techniques which are known to be not easy in terms of up-scaling. One often reported approach for thermoelectric CNT polymer nanocomposites is using electrically conductive matrix polymers, such as polyaniline (PANI) [19][20][21][22], polythiophene (PT), and PEDOT as the matrix [22,23]. Their use can result in polymer composites with electrical conductivities up to 4×10 5 S/m as reported by Moriarty et al [22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 77%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Thermal energy harvesting for large-scale applications using MWCNT-grafted glass fibers and polycarbonate-MWCNT nanocomposites

Tzounis

Liebscher

Mäder

et al. 2015

AIP Conference Proceedings

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 71%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 77%

Thermal energy harvesting for large-scale applications using MWCNT-grafted glass fibers and polycarbonate-MWCNT nanocomposites

Tzounis

Liebscher

Mäder

et al. 2015

AIP Conference Proceedings

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…Previous studies on the TE properties of conducting polymers and their composites revealed that the use of template induction with inorganic nanoparticles (for example, carbon nanotubes, graphene, metal nanowires) increased the degree of ordering of polymer molecular arrangements and therefore improved σ and S, [11][12][13][14][15][16] but a clear explanation for the intrinsic effect of the molecular structure on electron transport is still lacking. The electron transport in a conducting polymer composite containing an inorganic dispersion phase is complex because multiple factors may influence the transport process in diverse ways.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Highly anisotropic P3HT films with enhanced thermoelectric performance via organic small molecule epitaxy

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Conducting polymers are potential candidates for thermoelectric (TE) applications owing to their low thermal conductivity, non-toxicity and low cost. However, the coil conformation and random aggregation of polymer chains usually degrade electrical transport properties, thus deteriorating TE performance. In this work, we fabricated poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) films with highly oriented morphology using 1,3,5-trichlorobenzene (TCB), an organic small-molecule, as a template for polymer epitaxy under a temperature gradient crystallization process. The resulting P3HT molecules, which were confirmed to be highly anisotropic by a combination of scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, polarizing microscope, polarized Raman spectroscopy, and two-dimensional-grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) analysis, not only markedly reduced the conjugated defects along the polymer backbone, but also effectively increased the degree of electron delocalization. These combined phenomena produced an efficient, 1D path for carrier movement and therefore resulted in enhanced carrier mobility in the TCB-treated P3HT films. The maximum values of the electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient were 320 S cm À1 and 269 μV K À1 , respectively. Consequently, the maximum TE power factor and ZT value at 365 K reached 62.4 μW mK À2 and 0.1, respectively, in the parallel direction of the TCB-treated P3HT film. To the best of our knowledge, these are the highest values reported for pure P3HT TE materials. The method of using organic small-molecule epitaxy to generate highly anisotropic polymer films is expected to be valid for many conducting polymers.

show abstract

“…Easily processed by lamination or compression, it is used for fabrication of large sheets and shaped parts, such as gaskets, and seals for high-temperature applications [6]. Thermoelectric materials, which directly convert thermal energy into electrical energy, currently attract much attention due to their applications in solid state cooling and power generation from waste heat [7][8][9]. The efficiency of the thermoelectric devices is determined by the thermoelectric figure of merit, ZT, which is defined as ZT ¼ S 2 sT/k, where S, s, T, and k represent the Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity, absolute temperature, and thermal conductivity, respectively [10].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Preparation and characterization of expanded graphite polymer composite films for thermoelectric applications

Piao

Kim

Kennedy

et al. 2013

Phys. Status Solidi B

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This report demonstrates application of expanded graphite (ExG) for thermoelectric energy conversion, where it serves as a filler for both p-and n-type organic materials. Thin ExG composite films showing improved thermoelectric properties were prepared. In particular, composites with intrinsically conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) poly-(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) yielding high electrical conductivity (up to 10 4 S m À1 ) and enhanced thermopower (Seebeck coefficient) provided promising p-type material.Chemical doping experiments performed on ExG dispersed in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) revealed that the exfoliated graphitic sheets can be efficiently n-doped with polyethyleneimine (PEI). As a result, n-type ExG/PVA/PEI composite thin films showing improved n-type characteristics with thermopower values as high as À25.3 mV K À1 were prepared. With a 25 wt% ratio of PEI to ExG, the electrical conductivity was measured to be $10 3 S m À1 , which is remarkably high for n-type polymer composites. Strips of composite films containing 50 wt% of ExG in PEDOT:PSS were used as p-type components, and composite films containing 20 wt% of ExG in PVA doped with PEI were used as n-type components in thermoelectric modules to demonstrate thermoelectric voltage with one, two, and three p-n couples connected in series. The testing modules produced an output voltage of $4 mV at a temperature gradient of 50 K. The module generated 1.7 nW power, when a load resistance matched the internal module resistance of 1 kV. Our results show that chemical functionalization of ExG in thin composite films resulted in more effective thermoelectric properties.1 Introduction The crystal structure of graphite is a layered network of covalent bonded carbon atoms. Within the same plane, three of the four valence electrons of each C atom are localized in sp 2 hybrid orbitals, but the fourth is in a 2p orbital perpendicular to the plane. These 2p electrons are delocalized in each plane of C atoms. Overall, the bonds within the planes are strong covalent bonds, while the forces operating between adjacent planes are only weak van der Waals interactions. The large interlayer distances and weak forces allow the layers to glide over one another relative easily. These features enable graphite to be used as a solid lubricant and as a writing utensil. The electrical properties of graphite follow directly from its crystal structure. The electrical conductivity is direction-dependent; in a direction parallel to the layers, the electrical conductivity is $10 6 S m À1 but $1 S m À1 in a direction perpendicular to the layers.

show abstract

A Promising Approach to Enhanced Thermoelectric Properties Using Carbon Nanotube Networks

Cited by 450 publications

References 34 publications

Thermal energy harvesting for large-scale applications using MWCNT-grafted glass fibers and polycarbonate-MWCNT nanocomposites

Thermal energy harvesting for large-scale applications using MWCNT-grafted glass fibers and polycarbonate-MWCNT nanocomposites

Highly anisotropic P3HT films with enhanced thermoelectric performance via organic small molecule epitaxy

Preparation and characterization of expanded graphite polymer composite films for thermoelectric applications

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About