Nanowerk May 27, 2020
To use body heat to charge some types of micro-devices and sensors requires lightweight, non-toxic, wearable, and flexible thermoelectric generators. Researchers in Japan studied the thermoelectric properties of a highly conductive thiophene-based polymer, called PBTTT. They found that doping the polymer with a thin ion electrolyte gel improves conductivity and infiltrates the polymer successfully when a specific electric voltage is applied. Doping it with a critical amount of electrolyte untwists the highly twisted chain and creates links between its crystalline parts, improving electron conductivity. They are now looking into ways to optimize the thermoelectric performance of thin film conducting polymers through material design and changing the fabrication conditions…read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
The scientists found that their doping technique formed linkages between PBTTT’s crystalline parts… Credit: Image: Takenobu Group