Title : Enhancing thermoelectric performance of PEDOT: PSS via Al2O3 nanoparticle doping
Abstract:
Thermoelectric (TE) materials, which convert thermal energy into electricity, play a pivotal role in sustainable energy technologies. Conducting polymers, such as PEDOT:PSS, are particularly promising for flexible TE applications due to their low cost, light weight, and excellent processability. In this study, composite films of Al2O3/DMSO/PEDOT:PSS were fabricated by incorporating dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and aluminum oxide (Al2O3) nanoparticles, and their TE properties were systematically investigated. DMSO effectively enhanced the electrical conductivity of pristine PEDOT:PSS to 427.107 S·cm-1 by reducing the shielding effect of the PSS component on the PEDOT conductive chains. Further doping with Al2O3 nanoparticles significantly improved the TE performance, with the 20 vol% Al2O3 composite film achieving a maximum power factor of 73.844 μW·m-1·K-2. The improvement is mainly attributed to the synergistic effects of energy filtering and phonon scattering introduced by the Al2O3 nanoparticles. However, at higher doping levels, the electrical conductivity deteriorated due to nanoparticle aggregation and interfacial defects, which disrupted the continuity of the PEDOT network and increased charge transport resistance. This work elucidates the mechanisms by which DMSO and Al2O3 jointly influence the TE performance of PEDOT:PSS, offering valuable guidance for the design and optimization of high-performance, flexible thermoelectric composite films.
