Chemical exfoliation of SnSe 1–x Te x nanosheets with conductive PEDOT:PSS for flexible thermoelectric composite films

Abstract

SnSe 1–x Te x nanosheets (NSs) with lateral size of ∼500 nm were fabricated via intercalation of Li ions and exfoliation, and they were then combined with a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), to form SnSe 1–x Te x NS/PEDOT:PSS films. To evaluate the potential use of the SnSe 1–x Te x NS/PEDOT:PSS composites for thermoelectric applications, their thermoelectric properties were analyzed with the Te content and discussed for maximizing the thermoelectric power factor. The SnSe 0.97 Te 0.03 NS/PEDOT:PSS composite showed an outstanding power factor of 14.73 μW/(m·K 2 ), with excellent durability after 1000 bending cycles. This study demonstrates that the combination of inorganic SnSe 0.97 Te 0.03 NSs with conductive PEDOT:PSS is a promising technology to develop high-performance flexible thermoelectrics. © 2019 Elsevier B.V.