Organic Hybrid Thermoelectric Materials Containing Nano-dispersed Poly(nickel 1,1,2,2-ethenetetrathiolate) as an Element-Block

Thermoelectric technology is expected to convert waste heat to electrical energy. Organic hybrid thermoelectric materials are some of the candidates applicable to this technology to obtain electrical energy from waste heat below 150 °C. Nanoparticles of poly(nickel 1,1,2,2-ethenetetrathiolate) (abbreviated as nPETTs) were prepared from 1,3,4,6-tetrathiapentalene-2,5-dione using a surfactant, dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB), as an additive. The nPETT, recognized as an “element-block” composed of Ni, S, and C, can be dispersed in N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP), although solid PETT cannot be dispersed in NMP. The nPETTs can help to produce the dispersions of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in NMP and play a role as the building block to connect the independent CNTs to each other by strong d-π interactions to form dispersed nPETT/CNT hybrids. Thus, the organic hybrid films, prepared by drop-casting the dispersed solution of the nPETTs, CNTs, and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) in NMP on the substrates and recognized as element-block polymeric materials, showed a good thermoelectric performance. A series of thermoelectric materials were also produced using other kinds of CNTs and polymers.