Significant Enhancement in the Seebeck Coefficient and Power Factor of p-Type Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):Poly(styrenesulfonate) through the Incorporation of n-Type MXene

Thermoelectric (TE) materials are important for sustainable development because they can directly convert heat into electricity. Compared with inorganic TE materials, conductive polymers have demonstrated unique benefits and their irreplaceability. But their TE properties, particularly the Seebeck coefficient, must be greatly enhanced for practical application. In this work, MXene (Ti3C2Tx), an n-type two-dimensional material, is blended into p-type poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). The Seebeck coefficient of the composites increases with the increasing MXene loading at the MXene loading below 33 wt % and then decreases with further increasing of the MXene loading. MXene can enhance the Seebeck coefficient from 23 up to 57.3 μV K–1 and the power factor from 44.1 up to 155 μW m–1 K–2. For the first time, enhancement in the Seebeck coefficient of a p-type TE polymer by an n-type filler has been achieved. Enhancement in the Seebeck coefficient is ascribed to energy filtering of charge carriers by the internal electric field arising from the electron transfer from MXene to PEDOT:PSS. The internal electric field can filter the charge carriers with low energy and thus enhance the Seebeck coefficient.