Enhanced Charge Transport at the Interface in P3HT‐Tellurium Nanowires Hybrid Materials for High Thermoelectric Performance

Abstract In this study, the effects of molecular weight of poly(3‐hexylthiophene‐2,5‐diyl) (P3HT) and the lengths of tellurium (Te) nanowires on the thermoelectric transport properties of organic‐inorganic hybrid thermoelectric materials are systematically investigated. The findings indicate that the integration of longer Te nanowires (≈13 µm) with P3HT of different molecular weights (ranging from 50 to 143 kDa) enhances the thermoelectric properties of the hybrid material, resulting in a power factor of 303 ± 38 µW mK −2 for Te 80 ‐P3HT 20 hybrid material with optimal doping. Thermal conductivity measurements are performed, and a value of 0.25 ± 0.03 W mK −1 is achieved for Te 80 ‐P3HT 20 with a zT value of 0.36 ± 0.06 at room temperature, which represents the highest reported value for such Te‐P3HT based hybrid materials to date. This research offers critical insights into the synergistic effects of nanowire length and polymer molecular weight, paving the way for the development and refinement of advanced thermoelectric materials tailored for efficient energy conversion applications.