High-performance Ag2Se-based thermoelectrics for wearable electronics

Lin Zhang, Xiao-Lei Shi, Hongjing Shang (), Hongwei Gu, Wenyi Chen, Meng Li, Daxing Huang, Hao Dong, Xiaolei Wang, Fazhu Ding () and Zhi-Gang Chen ()
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Lin Zhang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Xiao-Lei Shi: Queensland University of Technology
Hongjing Shang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Hongwei Gu: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Wenyi Chen: Queensland University of Technology
Meng Li: Queensland University of Technology
Daxing Huang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Hao Dong: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Xiaolei Wang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Fazhu Ding: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Zhi-Gang Chen: Queensland University of Technology

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Flexible thermoelectric materials and devices hold enormous potential for wearable electronics but are hindered by inadequate material properties and inefficient assembly techniques, leading to suboptimal performance. Herein, we developed a flexible thermoelectric film, comprising Ag2Se nanowires as the primary material, a nylon membrane as a flexible scaffold, and reduced graphene oxide as a conductive network, achieving a record-high room-temperature ZT of 1.28. Hot-pressed Ag2Se nanowires exhibited strong (013) orientation, enhancing carrier mobility and electrical conductivity. Dispersed reduced graphene oxide further boosts electrical conductivity and induces an energy-filtering effect, decoupling electrical conductivity and the Seebeck coefficient to achieve an impressive power factor of 37 μW cm−1 K−2 at 300 K. The high-intensity between Ag2Se and reduced graphene oxide interfaces enhance phonon scattering, effectively reducing thermal conductivity to below 0.9 W m−1 K−1 and enabling the high ZT value. The nylon membrane endowed the film with exceptional flexibility. A large-scale out-of-plane device with 100 pairs of thermoelectric legs, assembled from these films, delivers an ultrahigh normalized power density of >9.8 μW cm−2 K−2, outperforming all reported Ag2Se-based flexible devices. When applied to the human body, the device generated sufficient power to operate a thermo-hygrometer and a wristwatch, demonstrating its practical potential for wearable electronics.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-60284-5

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