Thermoelectric (TE) materials are receiving increasing attention due to their ability to directly converting heat to electricity. They are used to harvest electrical energy from the wasted heat in order to increase the efficiency of global energy. Polymer-based TE materials are particularly fascinating to wearable and mobile devices due to their low density, good flexibility, and low toxicity. This review summarizes the recent breakthroughs and optimization strategies of polymer-based TE materials. Among a large number of different organic TE materials, those with remarkable TE performance are selected and divided into three categories, which are poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) derivatives, carbon nanotube/conductive polymer composites, and inorganic semiconductive nanomaterial/polymer composites. The effect of components and structures on the power factor are presented and discussed. Finally, some challenges are described and suggestions are provided for preparing the next-generation of polymer-based materials with high TE performance.

热电 (TE) 材料由于能够直接将热量转化为电能而受到越来越多的关注。它们用于从废热中收集电能，以提高全球能源的效率。基于聚合物的 TE 材料因其低密度、良好的柔韧性和低毒性而对可穿戴设备和移动设备特别有吸引力。本综述总结了聚合物基热电材料的最新突破和优化策略。在众多不同的有机热电材料中，选择热电性能显着的材料分为三类，即聚（3,4-乙撑二氧噻吩）衍生物、碳纳米管/导电聚合物复合材料和无机半导体纳米材料/聚合物复合材料。介绍和讨论了组件和结构对功率因数的影响。最后，描述了一些挑战，并为制备具有高热电性能的下一代聚合物基材料提供了建议。