Polymer based graphene/titanium dioxide nanocomposite (GTNC): an emerging and efficient thermoelectric material

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Energy Harvesting

Background:

• Development of efficient thermoelectric materials is crucial for waste heat recovery.
• Graphene-titanium dioxide nanocomposites (GTNC) offer potential due to their unique electronic and thermal properties.
• Existing thermoelectric composites often rely on complex synthesis or expensive components.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an eco-friendly synthesis route for graphene-titanium dioxide nanocomposites (GTNC).
• To investigate the thermoelectric properties of GTNC-polymer composites.
• To optimize composite composition for enhanced thermoelectric performance.

Main Methods:

• Eco-friendly synthesis of GTNC using ultrasonication and microwave irradiation.
• Fabrication of polymer-GTNC composites via ultrasonication and hot compaction.
• Characterization using XRD, HRTEM, FTIR, and Raman spectroscopy.
• Evaluation of electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, and power factor.

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized GTNC nanohybrids with a green approach.
• Optimized polyvinyl acetate (PVAc)-GTNC composite (20% PVAc, 80% GTNC) showed superior thermoelectric properties.
• Achieved an electrical conductivity of 2.6 × 10^4 S m⁻¹ and a Seebeck coefficient of -42 μV K⁻¹ at room temperature.
• The optimized composite reached a power factor of 47 μW m⁻² K⁻², significantly outperforming other tested composites.

Conclusions:

• The developed eco-friendly method provides a scalable route to GTNC.
• The synergistic interaction between graphene nanosheets and TiO2 nanoparticles in GTNC enhances thermoelectric performance.
• GTNC-based composites exhibit promising potential for thermoelectric energy harvesting applications without relying solely on conducting polymers.