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Review on Polymers for Thermoelectric Applications
Mario Culebras1, Clara M Gómez2, Andrés Cantarero3
1Materials Science Institute, University of Valencia, P.O. Box 22085, 46071 Valencia, Spain. mario.culebras@uv.es.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|August 10, 2017
Summary
Intrinsically conducting polymers show significant advancements in thermoelectricity, offering a promising alternative to traditional inorganic materials due to their rapidly improving figure of merit.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Polymer Science
Background:
- Inorganic compounds have historically dominated thermoelectric materials research.
- Significant improvements in thermoelectric performance have been achieved through strategies like electronic confinement.
- Organic materials, specifically intrinsically conducting polymers, have emerged as strong contenders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current state-of-the-art of polymers in thermoelectric applications.
- To analyze the evolution of the figure of merit and power factor in thermoelectric polymers.
- To identify leading polymer candidates and their advantages over inorganic thermoelectric materials.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent advancements in polymer thermoelectricity.
- Analysis of trends in the figure of merit and power factor of organic thermoelectrics.
- Comparative assessment of polymer and inorganic thermoelectric material properties.
Main Results:
- The figure of merit for thermoelectric polymers has improved by several orders of magnitude.
- Intrinsically conducting polymers demonstrate competitive thermoelectric performance compared to inorganics.
- Specific polymer systems show potential to outperform classical thermoelectric materials.
Conclusions:
- Polymers represent a rapidly advancing class of materials for thermoelectric applications.
- The continuous improvement in their thermoelectric properties positions them as viable alternatives to inorganic systems.
- Further research into polymer thermoelectricity offers significant advantages in terms of performance and potential applications.
