Thermoelectric Performance of Hybrid Inorganic/Organic Composites Based on PEDOT:PSS/Tin(II) Oxide.

ABSTRACT

PEDOT PSS(poly(3,4-ethylenedioxylthiophene)poly(styrenesulfonate))-based composites often exhibit remarkable characteristics regarding high electrical conductivity and great processability, being a suitable candidate for thermoelectric (TE) applications. To increase its performance, PEDOTPSS is commonly blended with scarce and toxic inorganic compounds based on Se, Te or Bi. In this work we propose the use of one p-type metal oxide semiconductor (MOs) tin(II) oxide (SnO), motivated by its abundance and low toxicity. Hybrid PEDOTPSS/SnO composites were obtained by firstly blending Ethylene glycol (EG) with PEDOTPSS and then by adding p-type SnO, previously synthesized by a chemical route. The mixture was deposited via spin-coating onto glass substrates. The Power Factor (PF) of the composites increased by a factor of 300 with the combined EG/SnO composition.