Enhanced thermoelectric properties of highly conductive poly (3,4-ethylenedioxy thiophene)/exfoliated graphitic carbon nitride composites

• Published in: Synthetic metals Vol. 287; p. 117070
• Main Authors: Ugraskan, Volkan, Karaman, Ferdane
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 01-07-2022; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Carbon nitride; Chemical synthesis; Composite materials; Electrical resistivity; Graphitic carbon nitride; PEDOT:PSS; Polystyrene resins; Power factor; Thermoelectric; Thermoelectricity; Thermoelectric; PEDOT:PSS; Graphitic carbon nitride
• ISSN: 0379-6779; 1879-3290
• DOI: 10.1016/j.synthmet.2022.117070

In this study, the thermoelectric properties of as-synthesized and –exfoliated graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) filled poly (3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT: PSS) were investigated. Firstly, g-C3N4 was synthesized by heating of guanidine-HCl at 550 °C and exfoliated using an ultrasonic homogenizer. Then, PEDOT:PSS was synthesized by oxidative chemical polymerization. Finally, the composites containing different weight ratios of g-C3N4 were prepared. The conductivity of pristine PEDOT:PSS increased from 11.1 Scm−1 to 722.15 Scm−1 for the composite containing 25% exfoliated g-C3N4, whereas the power factor of PEDOT:PSS increased from 0.19 μWm−1K−2 to 419.7 μWm−1K−2 for the composite containing 15% exfoliated g-C3N4. This study suggests that exfoliated g-C3N4 is a promising material to increase the electrical conductivity and power factor of PEDOT:PSS.
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•Thermoelectric properties of as-synthesized and exfoliated g-C3N4-filled PEDOT:PSS composites were investigated.•The electrical conductivity of the pristine PEDOT:PSS increased up to 722.15 Scm−1.•The largest Seebeck coefficient of the composites was obtained as 161 µVK−1.•The power factor of the pristine PEDOT:PSS increased from 0.19 μWm−1K−2 up to 419.7 μWm−1K−2.•The addition of exfoliated g-C3N4 contributed significantly to the electrical conductivity and thermoelectric properties of PEDOT:PSS.