Programmable and Surface-Conformable Origami Design for Thermoelectric Devices

Thermoelectric devices (TEDs) show great potential for waste heat energy recycling and sensing. However, existing TEDs cannot be self-adapted to the complex quadratic surface, leading to significant heat loss and restricting their working scenario. Here, surface-conformable origami-TEDs (o-TEGs) are developed through programmable crease-designed origami substrates and the screen-printing TE legs. Compared with "π" structured TEDs, the origami design (with heat conductive materials) changed the heat-transferring direction of the laminated TE legs, resulting in an enhancement in enlarging ΔT/T_Hot and V_out by 5.02 and 3.51 times. Four o-TEDs with different creases designs are fabricated to verify the heat recycling ability on plane and central quadratic surfaces. Demonstrating a high V_out density (up to 0.98 ^-2 at ΔT of 50 K) and good surface conformability, o-TEDs are further used in thermal touch panels attached to multiple surfaces, allowing information to be wirelessly transferred on a remote display via finger-writing.