2024-07-29 02:05:27
Chinese researchers from the Institute of Chemistry at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Beihan University have developed a highly efficient plastic-based thermoelectric material that has promising prospects in fields such as wearable electronics, Radio China reported.
This innovative material, characterized by lightness and softness, can use temperature differences to generate electricity.
“Many conducting polymers can serve as thermoelectric materials. When a temperature gradient is applied to these materials, an electromotive force is generated between the two ends of the material,” explains Di Chun’an from the Institute of Chemistry at KAN and one of the leaders of the study.
According to him, when an electrical circuit is established through these materials and a voltage is applied, a temperature gradient is also generated between the two ends of the material.
“These phenomena open up the possibility of using lightweight and flexible plastics to generate thermoelectric power, paving the way for the development of adhesive and wearable electronics and temperature-regulating clothing,” says Di Chun’an.
In the course of the study, the research team developed a thermoelectric material called a polymer multiheterojunction (PMHJ), whose thermoelectric property outperforms the performance of commercially available materials in the same temperature range. The team has demonstrated that the PMHJ structure is compatible with solution deposition methods, meeting the need for large-area plastic thermoelectrics and enabling the development of affordable wearable thermoelectric technologies.