MXene-assisted Bi₂Te₃ pellet-based thermoelectric generator

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Energy Harvesting
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) convert waste heat into electricity.
• Bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) is a common TEG material.
• Improving TEG efficiency is crucial for waste heat recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of a Ti3C2Tx MXene backing layer on TEG performance.
• To enhance the thermoelectric output of Bi2Te3-based TEGs.
• To explore MXene's potential in energy harvesting applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a TEG using Bi2Te3 pellets on a polyamide/Kapton substrate.
• Synthesis of Ti3C2Tx MXene via selective etching.
• Integration of a Ti3C2Tx MXene layer as a backing for the TEG.
• Characterization of thermoelectric performance under varying temperature differences (ΔT).

Main Results:

• The MXene-assisted TEG showed a 13.8% increase in open-circuit voltage at ΔT = 76 °C (22.3 mV vs 19.6 mV).
• Maximum output power increased by approximately 32% (124.32 nW vs 94.08 nW).
• Enhanced normalized areal power density was observed in the MXene-assisted device.

Conclusions:

• Ti3C2Tx MXene integration improves thermoelectric performance through enhanced electrical conductivity and interfacial heat management.
• MXene-assisted TEGs offer a promising approach for efficient waste heat energy harvesting.
• The study demonstrates the beneficial effect of MXene interfacial layers in thermoelectric systems.