Flexible and high performance of n-type thermoelectric PVDF composite film induced by nickel nanowires

Nickel nanowires (Ni NW) with high aspect ratio and excellent electrical conductivity were prepared by liquid phase chemical reduction. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)/Ni NW composite films were fabricated by solution mixing casting and compression molding. The effects of Ni NW with different weight content on the morphology, crystal structure and thermoelectric properties of PVDF/Ni NW nanocomposites were studied. The results show that the nickel nanowires are uniformly dispersed in the PVDF matrix. With the increase of Ni NW content, the conductivity of the composites increases greatly, and the power factor of the composites increases to 24.3μWm−1 K−2 with 75 wt% Ni NW. Although the tensile strength and elongation of the composites decrease gradually, this flexible thermoelectric film still shows great potential for thermoelectric applications.