Polymer-Based n-Type Yarn for Organic Thermoelectric Textiles

Abstract

A conjugated-polymer-based n-type yarn for thermoelectric textiles is presented. Thermoelectric textile devices are intriguing power sources for wearable electronic devices. The use of yarns comprising conjugated polymers is desirable because of their potentially superior mechanical properties compared to other thermoelectric materials. While several examples of p-type conducting yarns exist, there is a lack of polymer-based n-type yarns. Here, a regenerated cellulose yarn is spray-coated with an n-type conducting-polymer-based ink composed of poly(benzimidazobenzophenanthroline) (BBL) and poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI). The n-type yarns display a bulk electrical conductivity of 8 × 10−3 S cm−1 and Seebeck coefficient of −79 µV K−1. A promising level of air-stability for at least 13 days can be achieved by applying an additional thermoplastic elastomer coating. A prototype in-plane thermoelectric textile, produced with the developed n-type yarns and p-type yarns, composed of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)-coated regenerated cellulose, displays a stable device performance in air for at least 4 days with an open-circuit voltage per temperature difference of 1 mV °C−1. Evidently, polymer-based n-type yarns are a viable component for the construction of thermoelectric textile devices.