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Updated: Jan 17, 2026
09:10
The Frequency Domain Thermoreflectance Technique for Thermal Property Measurements
Published on: December 5, 2025
549
Boosting the Compatibility Between Thermoelectric Materials and Flexibility by Grain Boundary Engineering.
Ruopu Liu1, Li Ma1, Luping Song1,2
1Institute of Materials, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Jiangyou, Sichuan, 621908, P. R. China.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|September 19, 2025
Summary
Flexible thermoelectric devices (F-TEDs) based on bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) achieve high performance and stability. Optimized F-TEDs demonstrate excellent energy conversion and mechanical reliability for wearable applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Energy Science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Thermoelectric devices (TEDs) require high energy conversion and flexibility for wider applications.
- Optimizing the compatibility between performance and flexibility in TEDs is crucial.
- Bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3)-based materials are promising for thermoelectric applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop highly flexible thermoelectric devices (F-TEDs) with excellent energy conversion performance.
- To maintain high dimensionless figure of merit (ZT) values in Bi2Te3-based materials while enhancing flexibility.
- To improve the practicality of F-TEDs for wearable applications through structural optimization.
Main Methods:
- Synthesized p-type Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 material with modified grain size to enhance phonon scattering.
- Fabricated a 200-pair flexible thermoelectric device (F-TED) utilizing Bi2Te3-based constituents.
- Evaluated the thermoelectric performance (ZT, open-circuit voltage, power density) and mechanical stability (stretching, bending).
Main Results:
- Achieved a maximum ZT value of 1.2 at 373 K for the p-type Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 material.
- Reduced thermal conductivity by modifying grain size, strengthening phonon scattering.
- Delivered an F-TED with 3.0 V open-circuit voltage and 13.8 mW cm-2 power density at a 73 K temperature difference.
- Demonstrated excellent electrical stability and structural reliability after bending tests (5 mm radius).
- Reduced device height and weight by 70% and 75%, respectively, enhancing comfort.
Conclusions:
- The developed Bi2Te3-based F-TEDs exhibit a compelling balance of high thermoelectric performance and mechanical flexibility.
- Structural optimization, including reduced leg height and high-density strategy, significantly boosts device practicality for wearable applications.
- These findings pave the way for advanced, comfortable, and reliable thermoelectric generators in wearable technology.
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