Thermoelectric nanogenerators based on single Sb-doped ZnO micro/nanobelts

Abstract

We demonstrate a thermoelectric nanogenerator (NG) made from a single Sb-doped ZnO micro/nanobelt that generates an output power of about 1.94 nW under a temperature difference of 30 K between the two electrodes. A single Sb-doped ZnO microbelt was bonded at its ends on a glass substrate as a NG, which can give an output voltage of 10 mV and an output current of 194 nA. The single Sb-doped ZnO microbelt shows a Seebeck coefficient of about -350 μV/K and a high power factor of about 3.2 × 10 -4 W/mK 2. The fabricated NG demonstrated its potential to work as a self-powered temperature sensor with a reset time of about 9 s. © 2012 American Chemical Society.