Synergistic enhancement of Bi2Te3/Sb2Te3–PMMA thermoelectric generators via dithiol-assisted conductivity and FEM-based geometry optimizationShow others and affiliations
2026 (English)In: Results in Engineering (RINENG), ISSN 2590-1230, Vol. 30, article id 110785Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
In recent decades, thermoelectric (TE) materials have proven to be a complementary source of renewable energy, as they can directly convert waste heat into electrical energy. Energy-efficient, reliable, and scalable synthetic routes for the fabrication of TE materials and their processing into functional devices via low-energy and low-waste routes are necessary for the broader adoption of these materials in various applications. In this work, we report the formulation of hybrid thermoelectric ( h TE) inks based on nanostructured Sb2Te3 and Bi2Te3, using PMMA as the polymer matrix and hexanedithiol (HDT) as the binder. Percolation studies were conducted to determine the optimal film composition, with an 80% nanoparticle content yielding the highest TE performance. Finite element modelling (FEM) was employed to optimize the device geometry, including the cross-sectional area ratio of p- and n-type legs, to maximize power output. Based on these results, a flexible h TEG was fabricated using the optimized ink composition. The device exhibited an output power of 950 nW and a Power output Density (PoD) of 40.37 nW cm−2 under a 30 K temperature gradient, significantly outperforming previously reported polymer-based flexible h TEGs incorporating chalcogenides. This study presents a sustainable and effective strategy for developing high-performance hybrid thermoelectric devices through ink formulation, composition optimization, and simulation-guided device design.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier BV , 2026. Vol. 30, article id 110785
Keywords [en]
Finite element modeling, Hall mobility, Hybrid thermoelectrics, Ink formulation, Power density, Printed thermoelectrics, Thermoelectric generator design
National Category
Energy Engineering Materials Chemistry
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-382566DOI: 10.1016/j.rineng.2026.110785ISI: 001762995500001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105037757546OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-382566DiVA, id: diva2:2063288
Note
QC 20260528
2026-05-282026-05-282026-05-28Bibliographically approved