Preparation of high-performance Ag2Se NWs/PEDOT:PSS composite films and influence of PEDOT:PSS content on thermoelectric properties

Abstract There is still limited research on the influence of polymer content in inorganic/organic materials on thermoelectric properties. In this study, we systematically investigated the influence of the content of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) in the Ag 2 Se nanowires/PEDOT:PSS (Ag 2 Se NWs/PEDOT:PSS) composite films on the thermoelectric properties. When the content of PEDOT:PSS is 1.54 wt%, the composite film achieved the highest power factor (PF) of ~ 2074.0 µW m −1 K −2 at room temperature. The maximum output power ( P max ) of the single-leg thermoelectric device based on the composite film is approximately 49.42 nW, and the maximum power density (PD max ) is 4.28 W m −2 at a temperature difference of 25 K. Furthermore, the film exhibits superior flexibility with 94.3% of the original performance retention after 2000 bending cycles around a rod with a diameter of 5 mm. This work provides valuable guidance for the design and fabrication of high-performance flexible inorganic/organic composite thermoelectric materials.