Thermoelectric Behavior of Flexible Organic Nanocomposites with Carbon Nanotubes

Abstract

There have been significant researches about thermoelectric behaviors by applying carbon nanotube (CNT)/polymer nanocomposites. Due to its thermally disconnected but electrically connected junctions between CNTs, the thermoelectric properties were dramatically increased. Functionalized CNTs with metal nano particles or organic molecules can manipulate the intrinsic properties of nanocomposties to p- or n-type semiconductors by electron depletion or injection. In order to have low thermal conductivity composite, low concentration of CNT was required to form a non-percolated network in the composite, so as to manipulate the thermoelectric properties of conductive polymer matrix. According to above series of studies, ~10mV/K of thermopower was achieved with ~100 S/m of electrical conductivity, resulting ~10,000 µW/m-K2 of power factor. The result of this study shows that organic thermoelectric materials would be a promising approach for thermoelectric applications with light-weight and non-toxic nature.