Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

A Review on Organic Polymer-Based Thermoelectric Materials

  • Review
  • Published:
Journal of Polymers and the Environment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Converting heat energy directly into useable electricity by harvesting low-cost energy resources, such as solar energy and the waste heat, has attracted great interest recent years. Thermoelectricity offers a promising technology to convert heat from solar energy and to recover waste heat from industrial sectors and automobile exhausts. Classically, a number of inorganic compounds have been considered as the best thermoelectric materials. Organic materials in particular intrinsically conducting polymers had been considered as competitors of classical thermoelectric since their figure of merit has been improved several orders of magnitude in last year. In addition, the applications of thermoelectric polymers at low temperatures have shown various advantages such as easy and low cost of fabrication, light weight, and flexibility. Therefore, organic thermoelectric materials will be the best candidates to compete with inorganic materials in the future. In this review, we focused on exploring different types of organic thermoelectric materials and the factors affecting their thermoelectric properties, and discussed various strategies to improve the performance of thermoelectric materials. In addition, a review on theoretical studies of thermoelectric transport in polymers is also given.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bell LE (2008) Science 321:1457

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Dresselhaus MS, Chen G, Tang MY, Yang R, Lee H, Wang D, Ren ZF, Fleurial JP, Gogna P (2007) Adv Mater 19:1043

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Kim D, Kim Y, Choi K, Grunlan JC, Yu C (2010) ACS Nano 4:513

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Kim GH, Hwang DH, Woo SI (2012) Phys Chem Chem Phys 14:3530

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Zebarjadi M, Esfarjani K, Dresselhaus MS, Ren ZF, Chen G (2012) Energy Environ Sci 5:5147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Heremans JP, Dresselhaus MS, Bell LE, Morelli DT (2013) Nat Nanotechnol 8:471

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Liu WS, Xioa Y, Chen G, Ren ZF (2012) Nano Energy 1:42

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Heeger AJ (2001) Angew Chem Int Ed 40:259

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Snyder GJ, Toberer ES (2008) Nat Mater 7:105

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Sarath Kumar SR, Kurraa N, Alshareef HN (2016) J Mater Chem C 4:215

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Al-Galiby QH, Sadeghi H, Algharagholy LA, Grace I, Lambert C (2016) Nanoscale 8:2428

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Toshima N, Ichikawa S (2015) J Electron Mater 44:384

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Choy CL (1977) Polymer 18:984

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Poehler TO, Katz HE (2012) Energy Environ Sci 5:8110

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Bubnova O, Crispin X (2012) Energy Environ Sci 5:9345

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Zhang Q, Sun Y, Xu W, Zhu D (2014) Adv Mater 26:6829

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Boulanger C (2010) J Electron Mater 39:1818

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Zhang Q, Sun Y, Xu W, Zhu D (2012) Energy Environ Sci 5:9639

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Bubnova O, Khan ZU, Malti A, Braun S, Fahlman M, Berggren M, Crispin X (2011) Nat Mater 10:429

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Bubnova O, Berggren M, Crispin X (2012) J Am Chem Soc 134:16456

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Russ B, Robb MJ, Brunetti FG, Miller PL, Perry EE, Patel SN, Ho V, Chang WB, Urban JJ, Chabinyc ML (2014) Adv Mater 26:3473

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Schlitz RA, Brunetti FG, Glaudell AM, Miller PL, Brady MA, Takacs CJ, Hawker CJ, Chabinyc ML (2014) Adv Mater 26:2825

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Sun Y, Sheng P, Di C, Jiao F, Xu W, Qiu D, Zhu D (2012) Adv Mater 24:932

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Kim G, Shao L, Zhang K, Pipe K (2013) Nat Mater 12:719

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. D’Sa JT, Rao VJ, Patel KC, Patel RD (1979) Angew Makromol Chem 79:133

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Patel MS (1987) J Macromol Sci Part B Phy 26:97

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Spiratos M, Airinei A, Rusu GI, Ciobanu A (1982) Polym Bull 6:243

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Spiratos M, Rusu GI, Airinei A, Ciobanu A (1982) Angew Makromol Chem 107:33

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Rusu M, Airinei A, Butuc E, Rusu GG, Baban C, Rusu GI (1998) J Macrom Sci B 37:73

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Holdcroft GE, Underhill AE (1985) Synth Met 10:427

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Vicente RJ, Ribas P, Cassoux L (1986) Valade. Synth Met 13:265

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Vogt T, Faulmann C, Soules R, Lecante P, Mosset A, Castan P, Cassoux P, Galy J (1988) J Am Chem Soc 110:1833

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Faulmann C, Cassoux P, Vicente R, Ribas J, Jolly CA, Reynolds JR (1989) Synth Met 29:557

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Yoshioka N, Nishide H, Inagaki K, Tsuchida E (1990) Polym Bull 23:631

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Kubo K, Nakao A, Yamamoto HM, Kato R (2006) J Am Chem Soc 128:12358

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Sarangi R, DeBeer George S, Rudd DJ, Szilagyi RK, Ribas X, Rovira C, Almeida M, Hodgson KO, Hedman B, Solomon EI (2007) J Am Chem Soc 129:2316

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Yamamoto T (2008) X-Ray Spectrom 37:572

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Yue RR, Xu JK (2012) Synth Met 162:912

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Søndergaard RR, Hösel M, Espinosa N, Jørgensen M, Krebs FC (2013) Energy Sci Eng 1:81

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Kwok HL (2013) J Electron Mater 42:355

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Xia Y, Sun K, Ouyang J (2012) Adv Mater 24:2436

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Luo J, Billep D, Waechtler T, Otto T, Toader M, Gordan O, Sheremet E, Martin J, Hietschold M, Zahn DRT, Gessner T (2013) J Mater Chem A 1:7576

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Wang Q, Yao Q, Chang J, Chen L (2012) J Mater Chem 22:17612

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Toshima N (2002) Macromol Symp 186:81

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Yan H, Ohta T, Toshima N (2001) Macromol Mater Eng 286:139

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Hiroshige Y, Ookawa M, Toshima N (2007) Synt. Met. 157:467

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Hiroshige Y, Ookawa M, Toshima N (2006) Synth Met 156:1341

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Stöcker T, Köhler A, Moos R (2012) J Polym Sci Part B 50:976

    Article  Google Scholar 

  49. Cruz-Estrada RH, Folkes MJ (2002) J Mater Sci Lett 21:1431

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Lee SH, Park H, Kim S, Son W, Cheong IW, Kim JH (2014) J Mater Chem A 2:7288

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Bubnova O, Khan ZU, Wang H, Braun S, Evans DR, Fabretto M, Hojati-Talemi P, Dagnelund D, Arlin JB, Geerts YH, Desbief S, Breiby DW, Andreasen JW, Lazzaroni R, Chen WM, Zozoulenko I, Fahlman M, Murphy PJ, Berggren M, Crispin X (2014) Nat Mater 13:190

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. Limelette P, Schmaltz B, Brault D, Gouineau M, Autret-Lambert C, Roger S, Grimal V, Van Tran F (2014) J Appl Phys 115:033712

    Article  Google Scholar 

  53. Yamaguchi I, Nagano T (2014) J Appl Polym Sci 131:39928

    Article  Google Scholar 

  54. Rahman S, Abul-Hamayel M, Aleem B (2006) Surf Coat Technol 200:2948

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  55. Gao Z, Yang W, Wang J, Yan H, Yao Y, Ma J, Wang B, Zhang M, Liu L (2013) Electrochim Acta 91:185

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  56. Garreau S, Louarn G, Buisson J, Froyer G, Lefrant S (1999) Macromolecules 32:6807

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  57. Chen X, Inganas O (1996) J Phys Chem 100:15202

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  58. Zuzok R, Kaiser A, Pukacki W, Roth S (1991) J Chem Phys 95:1270

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  59. Bi K, Weathers A, Matsushita S, Pettes MT, Goh M, Akagi K, Shi L (2013) J Appl Phys 114:194302

    Article  Google Scholar 

  60. Jin J, Wang Q, Haque MA (2010) J Phys D Appl Phys 43:1503

    Google Scholar 

  61. Li J, Tang X, Li H, Yan Y, Zhang Q (2010) Synth Met 160:1153

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  62. Park T, Park C, Kim B, Shin H, Kim E (2013) Energy Environ Sci 6:788

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  63. Jiang F-X, Xu J-K, Lu B-Y, Xie Y, Huang R-J, Li L-F (2008) Chin Phys Lett 25:2202

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  64. Yao Q, Wang Q, Wang L, Wang Y, Sun J, Zeng H, Jin Z, Huang X, Chen L (2014) J Mater Chem A2:2634

    Article  Google Scholar 

  65. Yao Q, Chen L, Xu X, Wang C (2005) Chem Lett 34:522

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  66. Yoon C, Kim J, Sung H, Lee H (1997) Synth Met 84:789

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  67. Wei Q, Mukaida M, Kirihara K, Naitoh Y, Ishida T (2014) Appl Phys Expr 7:031601

    Article  Google Scholar 

  68. Madsen GKH (2006) J Am Chem Soc 128:12140

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  69. Wood C (1988) Rep Prog Phys 51:459

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  70. Sun J, Yeh ML, Jung BJ, Zhng B, Feser J, Majumdar A, Katz HE (2010) Macromolecules 43:2897

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  71. Yan L, Shao M, Wang H, Dudis D, Urbas A, Hu B (2011) Adv Mater 23:4120

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  72. Stanford M, Wang H, Ivanov I, Hu B (2012) Appl Phys Lett 101:173304

    Article  Google Scholar 

  73. Xu L, Liu Y, Garrett MP, Chen B, Hu B (2013) J Phys Chem C 117:10264

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  74. Hsu KF, Loo S, Guo F, Chen W, Dyck JS, Uher C, Hogan T, Polychroniadis EK, Kanatzidis MG (2004) Science 303:818

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  75. Venkatasubramanian R, Siivola E, Colpitts T, O’Quinn B (2001) Nature 413:597

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  76. Poudel B, Hao Q, Ma Y, Lan Y, Minnich A, Yu B, Yan X, Wang D, Muto A, Vashaee D, Chen X, Liu J, Dresselhaus MS, Chen G, Ren Z (2008) Science 320:634

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  77. Hochbaum AI, Yang P (2010) Chem Rev 110:527

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  78. Humphrey TE, O’Dwyer MF, Linke H (2004) J Phys D Appl Phys 38:2051

    Article  Google Scholar 

  79. Lee J, Farhangfar S, Yang R, Scholz R, Alexe M, Gösele U, Lee J, Nielsch K (2009) J Mater Chem 19:7050

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  80. Vineis J, Shakouri A, Majumdar A, Kanatzidis MG (2010) Adv Mater 22:3970

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  81. Martin-Gonzalez M, Caballero-Calero O, Diaz-Chao P (2013) Renew Sust Energy Rev 24:288

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  82. Vining CB (2009) Nat Mater 8:83

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  83. Nogami Y, Kaneko H, Ishiguro T, Takahashi A, Tsukamoto J, Hosoito N (1990) Solid State Commun 76:583

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  84. Zhang K, Zhang Y, Wang S (2013) Sci Rep 3:3448

    Article  Google Scholar 

  85. Zhang B, Sun J, Katz HE, Fang F, Opila RL (2010) ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2:3170

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  86. Yang B, Ahuja H, Tran TN (2008) HVAC R Res 14:635

    Article  Google Scholar 

  87. Chen XP, Jiang JK, Liang QH, Yang N, Ye HY, Cai M, Shen L, Yang DG, Ren TL (2015) Sci Rep 5:16907

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  88. Chen XP, Liang QH, Jiang JK, Wong CKY, Leung SYY, Ye HY, Yang DG, Ren TL (2016) Sci Rep 6:197

    Google Scholar 

  89. Wang D, Shi W, Chen J, Xi J, Shuai Z (2012) Phys Chem Chem Phys 14:16505

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  90. D’Agosta R (2012) Phys Chem Chem Phys 15:1758

    Article  Google Scholar 

  91. Savin AV, Kosevich YA, Cantarero A (2012) Phys Rev B 86:064305

    Article  Google Scholar 

  92. Wang JS, Wang J, Lue JT (2008) Eur Phys J B 62:381

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  93. Mao R, Kong BD, Kim KW, Jayasekera T, Calzolari A, Nardelli MB (2012) Appl Phys Lett 101:113111

    Article  Google Scholar 

  94. Bao WS, Meguid SA, Zhu ZH, Weng GJ (2012) J Appl Phys 111:093726

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Financial support from The State Key Laboratory of Refractories and Metallurgy and Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province (Grant No. 2014CFB824) are gratefully acknowledged.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Science School of Wuhan University of Science and Technology (Huangjiahu Campus), Wuhan, 430065, People’s Republic of China

    Shunjin Peng, Dengjing Wang, Jianduo Lu, Min He, Chao Xu, Ying Li & Sicong Zhu

  2. The State Key Lab of Refractory and Metallurgy, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430081, People’s Republic of China

    Shunjin Peng

Authors
  1. Shunjin Peng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Dengjing Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jianduo Lu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Min He
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Chao Xu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ying Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Sicong Zhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shunjin Peng.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Peng, S., Wang, D., Lu, J. et al. A Review on Organic Polymer-Based Thermoelectric Materials. J Polym Environ 25, 1208–1218 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-016-0895-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-016-0895-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation