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Organic Semiconductors for Thermoelectric Applications

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The thermoelectric performance of thin films fabricated from two commercially available, highly conductive polymer formulations based on poly (3,4-ethylendioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) was investigated. In order to enhance the electrical conductivity, the high-boiling solvent dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was added. By changing the content of DMSO the electrical conductivity was increased by a factor of two without changing the Seebeck coefficient or the thermal conductivity. We achieved ZT = 9.2 × 10−3 at room temperature upon the addition of 5 vol.% DMSO to the PEDOT:PSS formulation.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge Andreas Pütz and Benjamin Schmidt-Hansberg for fruitful discussions, H.C. Starck for supplying PEDOT:PSS, and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) for funding within the German Excellence Initiative.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universität Karlsruhe (TH), Engesserstr. 13, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany

    Manfred Scholdt, Hung Do, Johannes Lang, Andre Gall, Alexander Colsmann & Uli Lemmer

  2. Fraunhofer-Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques IPM, Thermoelectric Systems, Heidenhofstraße 8, 79110, Freiburg, Germany

    Jan D. Koenig, Markus Winkler & Harald Boettner

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  1. Manfred Scholdt
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Correspondence to Manfred Scholdt.

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Scholdt, M., Do, H., Lang, J. et al. Organic Semiconductors for Thermoelectric Applications. J. Electron. Mater. 39, 1589–1592 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-010-1271-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-010-1271-8

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