Solution‐Processable Conjugated Polymer/SWCNT Composites with Balanced p‐Type and n‐Type Properties for Scalable Thermoelectric Modules via Automated Dispensing
Abstract Thermoelectric (TE) materials capable of converting waste heat into electrical energy represent a promising solution for sustainable energy harvesting. This study demonstrates scalable TE modules through automated 3D dispensing, utilizing solution‐processable conjugated polymer/single‐walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) composites as complementary p‐type and n‐type components. The p‐type polymer integrated with SWCNTs (50:50 weight ratio), achieving an electrical conductivity of 478 ± 13 S cm −1 , while the n‐type polymer with SWCNT (40:60 weight ratio), exhibited enhanced environmental stability with electrical conductivity of 202 ± 19 S cm −1 . The optimized p‐type and n‐type composites achieve power factors of 47 ± 8 and 64 ± 1.5 µW m −1 K −2 , respectively, with corresponding figure of merit ( ZT ) values of 0.11± 0.02 and 0.15 ± 0.02 at 303 K. A three pair TE module generates a maximum power output of 0.18 µW at Δ T = 100 K. Temperature‐dependent measurements reveal distinct transport mechanisms: weak metallic behavior in the p‐type composite and thermally activated hopping ( E a = 22.4 meV) in the n‐type film. The successful integration through automated fabrication demonstrates potential for scalable production of flexible organic TE modules.
Authors
- Vijitha Ignatious (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-8141-7881)
- Neethi Raveendran
- Chakkooth Vijayakumar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5347-6799)
- Navin Jacob
- Tanjore P. Yuvaraj
- Biswapriya Deb (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7954-9386)
- Richard Martin
- Ramachandran Dheepika
- Santhi P. Sivakrishna
Institutions
- National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (IN)
- GAIL (India) (IN)
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (IN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Materials Technologies
- Published
- 2025-06-08
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/admt.202500327
- Citations
- 4
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Thermoelectric Materials and Devices
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.07
Funders
- Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment