High-performance and compact-designed flexible thermoelectric modules enabled by a reticulate carbon nanotube architecture.

ABSTRACT: It is a great challenge to substantially improve the practical performance of flexible thermoelectric modules due to the absence of air-stable n-type thermoelectric materials with high-power factor. Here an excellent flexible n-type thermoelectric film is developed, which can be conveniently and rapidly prepared based on the as-grown carbon nanotube continuous networks with high conductivity. The optimum n-type film exhibits ultrahigh power factor of ?1,500??W?m^-1?K^-2 and outstanding stability in air without encapsulation. Inspired by the findings, we design and successfully fabricate the compact-configuration flexible TE modules, which own great advantages compared with the conventional ?-type configuration modules and well integrate the superior thermoelectric properties of p-type and n-type carbon nanotube films resulting in a markedly high performance. Moreover, the research results are highly scalable and also open opportunities for the large-scale production of flexible thermoelectric modules.

SUBMITTER: Zhou W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5477522 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature