Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance of Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) and Graphene/Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) Composites via Vapor Phase Polymerization

Abstract

Organic thermoelectric (TE) materials are interesting candidates for wearable energy harvesting systems because they are flexible and convert thermoelectric energy. Thermally conductive flexible thermoelectric generators (TEGs) built of these materials produce power from body and environmental temperature differences, enabling devices to run without recharging. The exceptional electrical conductivity, mechanical flexibility, and environmental robustness of organic transition metal (TE) materials like PEDOT and graphene composites are becoming more known. Due to their synergistic link, PEDOT and graphene layers are appealing thermoelectric possibilities because they increase See beck coefficient and electrical conductivity. Vapor phase polymerization (VPP) may replace chemical or electrochemical polymerization for PEDOT manufacture. This method allows one to accurately regulate PEDOT layer electrical characteristics by altering thickness and structure. These PEDOT and graphene/PEDOT composites were made using iron (III) to sylate as the VPP oxidizing agent. VPP technique produces homogeneous films with better electrical conductivity than existing approaches. We tested the electrical resistance and Linseis LSR-3/800 Seebeck coefficient of PEDOT and graphene/PEDOT composites to determine their thermoelectric characteristics. VPP’s graphene/PEDOT composites have better electrical conductivity and See beck coefficient than conventional PEDOT, improving their thermoelectric power factor. These results show that VPP may be utilized to develop organic thermoelectric materials for lightweight energy collectors.

Keywords

• polymerization temperature
• monomer conversion
• vpp-pedot
• graphene/vpp-pedot
• conductivity enhancement