Breaking the tradeoff among thermoelectric parameters by multi composite of porosity and CNT in AZO films

• Published in: Energy (Oxford) Vol. 225; p. 120320
• Main Authors: Liu, Shiying, Lan, Mingdi, Li, Guojian, Piao, Yongjun, Ahmoum, Hassan, Wang, Qiang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 15.06.2021; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Carbon nanotubes; CNT; Comparative studies; Figure of merit; Nanocomposite; Nanocomposites; Parameters; Porosity; Power factor; Temperature gradients; Thermal conductivity; Thermoelectric film; Thermoelectricity; Tradeoffs; Zinc oxide; ZnO; CNT; Nanocomposite; ZnO; Porosity; Thermoelectric film
• ISSN: 0360-5442; 1873-6785
• DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2021.120320

Multi-nanocomposite is an effective method to achieve high thermoelectric (TE) performance by breaking the tradeoff among three TE parameters. This paper presents a comparative study of incorporated carbon nanotube (CNT)/Au in evaporated porous Al-doped ZnO (AZO) films. The effect of the nanocomposite interface on scattering of carriers and phonons is used to independently tune thermal conductivity and power factor in the multi-nanocomposite AZO films. This breaks the tradeoff and improves the figure of merit (ZT) of the film. Moreover, the temperature gradient retains in the out-of-plane of the films. These make the AZO film composited CNT and porosity have higher output power than that of the non-porous films. This provides a simple method for the low-dimension film to increase the TE properties through breaking the tradeoff and makes the TE materials suitable for efficient harvesting in low-grade waste heat. [Display omitted] •This study presents a simple method to prepare multi-nanocomposite film.•Multi-nanocomposite breaks the tradeoff among thermoelectric parameters.•Film with CNT and porosity has higher ZT value and output power.