Issue 7, 2020

Spray-coated PEDOT:OTf films: thermoelectric properties and integration into a printed thermoelectric generator

Abstract

Organic conducting polymers are promising materials for thermoelectric applications due to their high electrical conductivity and intrinsic low thermal conductivity. Among them, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) has a positive Seebeck coefficient (p-type) and is commercially available. It has therefore gained a lot of attention in the field. However, it remains challenging to process a large amount of organic thermocouples to produce an efficient thermoelectric generator (TEG). In addition, finding a way to use bidimensional (2D) printed thermocouples in a tridimensional (3D) TEG structure is not straightforward. In this article, we propose the use of ultrasonic spray-coating as a straightforward large-scale printing technique to prepare highly conducting and in situ polymerized PEDOT:OTf. The spray-coated material can reach an electrical conductivity as high as 2215 ± 665 S cm−1 at 132 ± 10 nm film thickness. We studied the influence of several parameters, such as co-solvent addition, thickness control and rinsing procedure on the conduction properties. GIWAXS and low temperature electrical conductivity measurements on films of different thicknesses allowed us to elucidate the structures of the as-prepared materials and the charge transport mechanisms. Finally, a fully printed and rolled TEG containing 156 thermocouples was prepared as a proof of concept, generating a power output of 1 μW with a 48 °C thermal gradient.

Graphical abstract: Spray-coated PEDOT:OTf films: thermoelectric properties and integration into a printed thermoelectric generator

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Research Article
Submitted
25 Apr 2020
Accepted
28 May 2020
First published
29 May 2020

Mater. Chem. Front., 2020,4, 2054-2063

Spray-coated PEDOT:OTf films: thermoelectric properties and integration into a printed thermoelectric generator

E. Yvenou, M. Sandroni, A. Carella, M. N. Gueye, J. Faure-Vincent, S. Pouget, R. Demadrille and J. Simonato, Mater. Chem. Front., 2020, 4, 2054 DOI: 10.1039/D0QM00265H

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements