Facile preparation of flexible all organic PEDOT:PSS/methyl cellulose thermoelectric composite film by a screen printing process

• Published in: Synthetic metals Vol. 276; p. 116752
• Main Authors: Niu, Hao, Liu, Yuqi, Song, Haijun, Meng, Qiufeng, Du, Yong, Shen, Shirley Z.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 01.06.2021; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Cellulose; Dimethyl sulfoxide; Electrical resistivity; Flexibility; Maximum power; Methyl cellulose; PEDOT:PSS; Polyvinylidene fluorides; Power factor; Screen printing; Seebeck effect; Substrates; Thermoelectric; Thermoelectric materials; Screen printing; Thermoelectric; Flexibility; PEDOT:PSS; Methyl cellulose
• ISSN: 0379-6779; 1879-3290
• DOI: 10.1016/j.synthmet.2021.116752

Screen printing technology was employed to prepare flexible all organic poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)/methyl cellulose (MC) composite films on a polyvinylidene fluoride substrate. The influences of the contents of MC and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) post-treatment on thermoelectric properties of the as-prepared PEDOT:PSS/MC composite films were investigated. The electrical conductivity of the PEDOT:PSS/MC composite films was decreased with the contents of MC increasing, whereas the Seebeck coefficient was kept almost constant. A maximum power factor of 2.1 μW m−1 K−2 was obtained at 360 K for the composite film containing 25.67 wt% MC. After the DMSO treatment, the power factor was increased to 16.2 µW m−1 K−2 at 340 K, which was ~7.7 times as that of the untreated composite film (2.1 μW m−1 K−2 at 360 K). The screen printing technology has the characteristics of easy operation and suitable for large-scale production, and therefore it is a great potential method for fabrication of flexible thermoelectric materials. [Display omitted] •Flexible organic PEDOT:PSS/MC composite films were fabricated by a screen printing technology.•The impacts of the contents of MC on thermoelectric properties were investigated.•DMSO treatment was used to enhance thermoelectric properties of the composite films.•A highest power factor of 16.2 µW m–1 K–2 was obtained at 340 K.