Thermoelectric behavior of bulk-type functionalized-SWCNT incorporated Te nanowire/PMMA hybrid nanocomposites with a segregated structure

Abstract A three-dimensional thermoelectric (TE) nanocomposite based on functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (f-SWCNTs), tellurium nanowires (Te NWs), and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) microbeads was fabricated by a hot compaction via solvent casting. We chose a minimum content of f-SWCNTs of 1 wt% for fabricating the nanocomposite based on percolation threshold. The nanocomposite containing 2 wt% f-SWCNTs and 48 wt% Te NWs exhibited an electrical conductivity of 0.93 S/cm, a Seebeck coefficient of 303 μV/K, a thermal conductivity of 0.23 W/mK and a figure-of-merit ( ZT ) of 0.01 at RT. The electrical conductivity of the nanocomposite were higher than that of the Te NW/PMMA nanocomposite. In contrast, the thermal conductivity value showed a trend opposite to that of the electrical conductivity. This is because the f-SWCNTs formed bridges between the Te NWs into the nanocomposite, resulting in heterostructured interfaces. We believe that this-type nanocomposite can be widely used for thermoelectric generators at low temperature.