High Power Factor of Ag<sub>2</sub>Se/Ag/Nylon Composite Films for Wearable Thermoelectric Devices

Wenhang Wu; Zheng Liang; Meng Jia; Yuwei Li; Xiongcong Guan; Yunfeng Zhan; Jinxiu Wen; Jianyi Luo

doi:10.3390/nano12234238

Nanomaterials (Nov 2022)

High Power Factor of Ag<sub>2</sub>Se/Ag/Nylon Composite Films for Wearable Thermoelectric Devices

Wenhang Wu,
Zheng Liang,
Meng Jia,
Yuwei Li,
Xiongcong Guan,
Yunfeng Zhan,
Jinxiu Wen,
Jianyi Luo

Affiliations

Wenhang Wu: Research Center of Flexible Sensing Materials and Devices, School of Applied Physics and Materials, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, China
Zheng Liang: Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
Meng Jia: Research Center of Flexible Sensing Materials and Devices, School of Applied Physics and Materials, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, China
Yuwei Li: Research Center of Flexible Sensing Materials and Devices, School of Applied Physics and Materials, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, China
Xiongcong Guan: Research Center of Flexible Sensing Materials and Devices, School of Applied Physics and Materials, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, China
Yunfeng Zhan: Research Center of Flexible Sensing Materials and Devices, School of Applied Physics and Materials, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, China
Jinxiu Wen: Research Center of Flexible Sensing Materials and Devices, School of Applied Physics and Materials, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, China
Jianyi Luo: Research Center of Flexible Sensing Materials and Devices, School of Applied Physics and Materials, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12234238
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 12, no. 23
p. 4238

Abstract

Read online

A flexible thermoelectric device has been considered as a competitive candidate for powering wearable electronics. Here, we fabricated an n-type Ag2Se/Ag composite film on a flexible nylon substrate using vacuum-assisted filtration and a combination of cold and hot pressing. By optimising the Ag/Se ratio and the sequential addition and reaction time of AA, an excellent power factor of 2277.3 μW∙m−1 K−2 (corresponding to a ZT of ~0.71) at room temperature was achieved. In addition, the Ag2Se/Ag composite film exhibits remarkable flexibility, with only 4% loss and 10% loss in electrical conductivity after being bent around a rod of 4 mm radius for 1000 cycles and 2000 cycles, respectively. A seven-leg flexible thermoelectric device assembled with the optimised film demonstrates a voltage of 19 mV and a maximum power output of 3.48 μW (corresponding power density of 35.5 W m−2) at a temperature difference of 30 K. This study provides a potential path to design improved flexible TE devices.

Published in Nanomaterials

ISSN: 2079-4991 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Chemistry
Website: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/nanomaterials

About the journal

Abstract

Keywords