Electrochemical Treatment for Effectively Tuning Thermoelectric Properties of Free-Standing Poly(3-methylthiophene) Films

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• 作者：Yongjing Hu ; Danhua Zhu ; Zhengyou Zhu ; Endou Liu ; Dr. Baoyang Lu ; Prof. Jingkun Xu ; Prof. Feng Zhao ; Jian Hou ; Dr. Huixuan Liu and Dr. Fengxing Jiang
• 刊名：ChemPhysChem
• 出版年：2016
• 出版时间：July 18, 2016
• 年：2016
• 卷：17
• 期：14
• 页码：2256-2262
• 全文大小：1677K
• ISSN：1439-7641

文摘

The degree of oxidation of conducting polymers has great influence on their thermoelectric properties. Free-standing poly(3-methylthiophene) (P3MeT) films were prepared by electrochemical polymerization in boron trifluoride diethyl etherate, and the fresh films were treated electrochemically with a solution of propylene carbonate/lithium perchlorate as mediator. The conductivity of the resultant P3MeT films depends on the doping level, which is controlled by a constant potential from −0.5 to 1.4 V. The optimum electrical conductivity (78.9 S cm⁻¹ at 0.5 V) and a significant increase in the Seebeck coefficient (64.3 μV K⁻¹ at −0.5 V) are important for achieving an optimum power factor at an optimal potential. The power factor of electrochemically treated P3MeT films reached its maximum value of 4.03 μW m⁻¹ K⁻² at 0.5 V. Moreover, after two months, it still exhibited a value of 3.75 μW m⁻¹ K⁻², and thus was more stable than pristine P3MeT due to exchange of doping ions in films under ambient conditions. This electrochemical treatment is a significant alternative method for optimizing the thermoelectric power factor of conducting polymer films.