Organic Thermoelectric Nanocomposites Assembled via Spraying Layer-by-Layer Method

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Energy Harvesting

Background:

• Thermoelectric (TE) materials offer sustainable power solutions for electronics.
• Organic TE materials, combining conducting polymers and carbon nanofillers, have diverse applications.
• Developing efficient fabrication methods for organic TE nanocomposites is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop organic TE nanocomposites using a spray-assisted layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly method.
• To investigate the impact of this method on film growth, surface morphology, and TE performance.
• To compare the spray-assisted LbL method with traditional dip coating.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of organic TE nanocomposites via successive spraying of polyaniline (PANi), poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy-thiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT).
• Layer-by-layer (LbL) thin film assembly using a spray-coating technique.
• Characterization of film growth rate, surface structure, electrical conductivity, and Seebeck coefficient.

Main Results:

• The spray-assisted LbL method demonstrated a higher growth rate compared to traditional dip coating.
• Multilayer thin films exhibited excellent coverage of highly networked SWNT.
• A 20-bilayer PANi/SWNT-PEDOT:PSS film achieved an electrical conductivity of 14.3 S/cm and a Seebeck coefficient of 76 μV/K.
• The resulting power factor was 8.2 μW/m·K², a ninefold improvement over films made by dip coating.

Conclusions:

• Spray-assisted LbL assembly is an effective method for fabricating high-performance organic TE nanocomposites.
• This technique offers rapid processing and ease of application for large-scale industrial use.
• The developed method opens opportunities for multifunctional thin films in various applications.