Since future energy harvesting technologies require stable supply and high-efficiency energy conversion,there is an increasing demand for high-performance organic thermoelectric generators(TEGs)based on waterproof the...Since future energy harvesting technologies require stable supply and high-efficiency energy conversion,there is an increasing demand for high-performance organic thermoelectric generators(TEGs)based on waterproof thermoelectric materials.The poor stability of n-type organic semiconductors in air and water has proved a roadblock in the development of reliable thermoelectric power generators.We developed a simple green route for preparing n-type carbon nanotubes(CNTs)by doping with cationic surfactants and fabricated films of the doped CNTs using only aqueous media.The thermoelectric properties of the CNT films were investigated in detail.The nanotubes doped using a cationic surfactant(cetyltrimethylammonium chloride(CTAC))retained an n-doped state for at least 28 days when exposed to water and air,indicating higher stability than that for contemporary CNT-based thermoelectric materials.The wrapping of the surfactant molecules around the CNTs is responsible for blocking oxygen and water from attacking the CNT walls,thus,extending the lifetime of the n-doped state of the CNTs.We also fabricated thermoelectric power conversion modules comprising CTAC-doped(n-type)and sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate-(SDBS-)doped(p-type)CNTs and tested their stabilities in water.The modules retained 80±2:4%of their initial maximum output power(at a temperature difference of 75℃)after being submerged in water for 30 days,even without any sealing fills to prevent device degradation.The remarkable stability of our CNT-based modules can enable the development of reliable soft electronics for underwater applications.展开更多
基金This study was supported in part by the projects JSPS KAKENHI(nos.21K14428 to S.H.and 19K05633 to Y.S.),Foundation from Oil&Fat Industry Kaikanthe Environmental research grant from Steel Foundation for Environmental Protection Technology,Japan.
文摘Since future energy harvesting technologies require stable supply and high-efficiency energy conversion,there is an increasing demand for high-performance organic thermoelectric generators(TEGs)based on waterproof thermoelectric materials.The poor stability of n-type organic semiconductors in air and water has proved a roadblock in the development of reliable thermoelectric power generators.We developed a simple green route for preparing n-type carbon nanotubes(CNTs)by doping with cationic surfactants and fabricated films of the doped CNTs using only aqueous media.The thermoelectric properties of the CNT films were investigated in detail.The nanotubes doped using a cationic surfactant(cetyltrimethylammonium chloride(CTAC))retained an n-doped state for at least 28 days when exposed to water and air,indicating higher stability than that for contemporary CNT-based thermoelectric materials.The wrapping of the surfactant molecules around the CNTs is responsible for blocking oxygen and water from attacking the CNT walls,thus,extending the lifetime of the n-doped state of the CNTs.We also fabricated thermoelectric power conversion modules comprising CTAC-doped(n-type)and sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate-(SDBS-)doped(p-type)CNTs and tested their stabilities in water.The modules retained 80±2:4%of their initial maximum output power(at a temperature difference of 75℃)after being submerged in water for 30 days,even without any sealing fills to prevent device degradation.The remarkable stability of our CNT-based modules can enable the development of reliable soft electronics for underwater applications.
