High-performance compliant thermoelectric generators with magnetically self-assembled soft heat conductors for self-powered wearable electronics

Byeongmoon Lee, Hyeon Cho, Kyung Tae Park, Jin-Sang Kim, Min Park, Heesuk Kim (), Yongtaek Hong () and Seungjun Chung ()
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Byeongmoon Lee: Seoul National University
Hyeon Cho: Seoul National University
Kyung Tae Park: Korea Institute of Science and Technology
Jin-Sang Kim: Korea Institute of Science and Technology
Min Park: Korea Institute of Science and Technology
Heesuk Kim: Korea Institute of Science and Technology
Yongtaek Hong: Seoul National University
Seungjun Chung: Korea Institute of Science and Technology

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Softening of thermoelectric generators facilitates conformal contact with arbitrary-shaped heat sources, which offers an opportunity to realize self-powered wearable applications. However, existing wearable thermoelectric devices inevitably exhibit reduced thermoelectric conversion efficiency due to the parasitic heat loss in high-thermal-impedance polymer substrates and poor thermal contact arising from rigid interconnects. Here, we propose compliant thermoelectric generators with intrinsically stretchable interconnects and soft heat conductors that achieve high thermoelectric performance and unprecedented conformability simultaneously. The silver-nanowire-based soft electrodes interconnect bismuth-telluride-based thermoelectric legs, effectively absorbing strain energy, which allows our thermoelectric generators to conform perfectly to curved surfaces. Metal particles magnetically self-assembled in elastomeric substrates form soft heat conductors that significantly enhance the heat transfer to the thermoelectric legs, thereby maximizing energy conversion efficiency on three-dimensional heat sources. Moreover, automated additive manufacturing paves the way for realizing self-powered wearable applications comprising hundreds of thermoelectric legs with high customizability under ambient conditions.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19756-z

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