CONDUCTING POLYMER PEDOT:PSS-ZnO NANOCOMPOSITE BASED

THERMOELECTRIC DEVICES

By
Asad ullah khan
This proposal contains the following steps.
1) Abstract
2) Introduction to Background.
3) Motivation
4) Aims and Objective
5) Future Work

1) Abstract
In this work, an organic conducting polymer poly-(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)
poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) will be used as a matrix material for doping zinc oxide
(ZnO) nanoparticles to form PEDOT:PSS-ZnO hybrid nanocompsites for thermoelectric
applications. The thermoelectric device will be fabricated by spin coating a thin film of
PEDOT:PSS-ZnO nanocomposite on a cleaned glass substrate. To fabricate Ag/PEDOT:PSS-
ZnO/Ag thermoelectric device, metallic electrodes of silver (Ag) will be deposited by using
thermal evaporator. The fabricated device will be characterized for thermoelectric parameters’
measurements such as Seebeck coefficient (S), power factor and figure of merit (ZT). The
morphology, structural analysis of the PEDOT:PSS-ZnO nanocomposite films will be studied by
using atomic force microscope (AFM)/ scanning electron microscope (SEM) and x-ray
diffraction (XRD) techniques. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and Fourier transformed
infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy will be carried out to understand the bandgap and constituent’s
nature of the blended materials.
2) Introduction to Background
As global energy require grows and, at the same time, the quantity of renewable fossil fuels is
reduced, they require for renewable energy sources becomes apparent. Also an increasing energy
require, there is also pressure to reduce the quantity of pollution give out in the figure of
greenhouse gases, using clean energy sources [1]. The answer of this energy crisis can be solved
by falling the amount of energy exhausted. To convert this lost heat into useful energy we use
thermoelectric(TE) materials [2]. Thermoelectric knowledge has also possible to amplify the
energy production effectiveness and decrease global warming, as well as the amount of pollution
emitted [3]. Furthermore, TE knowledge is not only convert heat into energy however also
convert energy into heat. As a device that provides an energetic heating system or cooling. Due
to this reason thermoelectric technology becomes usable and versatile.
Power generation for customer refrigeration, customer heating, and space exploration are the
present application of this technology. But due to the small energy trade efficiency of this
technology frequently does not make it a price successful solution and modem limits its use in
the world. Because of this, a lot of the research over the last several years has been working on
rising the figure of merit of TE materials [4].
By increasing exchange efficiency, potential applications contain car wash up and power plant
dissipate heat improvement, electronic appliance cooling, and generating electricity from stiff
heat. Up to now, the greater part of thermoelectric research has paying attention on crystalline
semiconducting materials. On the other hand, due to the lower cost, easy as well as simple
synthesis, mechanical flexibility, good charge carriers mobility and remarkable TE properties
enabled polymeric semiconductors and their composite materials one of the best candidates for
electronic, optoelectronic and thermoelectric applications[5, 6].
Compared to photovoltaic energy, it is more suitable due to easy handling and no dynamic parts.
Thermoelectric properties are observed in many materials such as conductor and semiconductors.
The performance of thermoelectric materials of mainly depends on the thermoelectric parameters
given by the dimensional ZT.

ZT = 1.1

Where is electrical conductivity, S is Seebeck coefficient, T is temperature, and is thermal

conductivity. The above equation 1.1 shows that a best TE material must have greater Seebeck
coefficient, like that of insulators and small thermal conductivity like that of glass and high
electrical conductivity like that of metal. Research around the world is focused on increasing the
figure merit of TE devices. The higher value of power factor (S2 ) and small thermal
conductivity is essential for good TE material. Yet, there are some feature of S and κ which are
problem in the improvement of the value ZT. When raise in electrical conductivity it often
reduce in the Seebeck coefficient. Similarly, when thermal conductivity is reduced it often
results in enlarge in electrical conductivity. As a result, increasing the electrical properties but
falling the thermal conductivity of TE materials is very important.
Zinc oxid (ZnO) as a wide bandgap semiconductor. The bandgap energy of ZnO is 3.37 eV and
exciton binding energy is 60 meV at room temperature, is one of the good florescent low
dimensional material among photo stability, and result process able performance [8]. For last
several years the optical properties of different ZnO have been calculated. With the fast
developments in nanotechnology, there is a lot of notable low dimensional structures of ZnO
have been made-up by dissimilar artificial process for example chemical vapor deposition
(CVD), thermal evaporation of oxide powders, polymerization, ion implantation and template
assisted growth. The field of nanotechnology is a highly fashionable area for present study and
development. At current, simple access of nanonmaterial agree to develop polymer matrix
nanocomposites (PNCs) with customized thermal, electrical and mechanical properties for a
specific application. There are some particles like ceramic, Al2O3, AlN, SiO2, BN and ZnO
which have been added into polymer matrix. It is report that when ZnO is added into the polymer
matrix it improves the dielectric properties, thermal stability, and takes resistance of the
composite.

3) Motivation
Recently, the increase in fuel prices, an unavoidable prospect of peak oil and rapid decrease in
other energy resources is alarming us to more effort in the research field to investigate possible
renewable alternatives and use energy in well-organized manner. The study of TE knowledge is
better ways to produce heat created by joule effect, mechanical engines or nuclear process.
The figure of merit of organic semiconductor is greater than one. Our first work is based on TE
properties of greatly conductive polymer, PEDOT: PSS for TE properties. In this study the blend
is completed from PEDOT: PSS adding with ZnO is used for thermoelectric application because
of their scalability and processability.

4) Aims and Objective

In this research work, we will focus on enhancing the efficacy in the TE properties of organic
conducting polymers (CP) (poly-(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) poly(styrenesulfonate)
(PEDOT:PSS) will be use as a matrix material for doping zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles to form
PEDOT:PSS-ZnO hybrid nanocompsites for thermoelectric applications. The thermoelectric
device will be made-up by spin coating a slim film of PEDOT: PSS-ZnO nanocomposite on a
cleaned glass substrate.
5) Future Work
Since, thermoelectricity is an interesting and demanding field of research which is capable of
direct conversion of waste heat into electricity, therefore, the thrust for exploring/synthesizing
novel TE materials is the cry of the day. I intend to continue my research in this field to
discover/engineer materials with appropriate TE properties for energy harvesting from waste
heat.

References
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