Thickness-dependent thermoelectric power factor of polymer-functionalized semiconducting carbon nanotube thin films

Abstract

The effects of polymer structures on the thermoelectric properties of polymer-wrapped semiconducting carbon nanotubes have yet to be clarified for elucidating intrinsic transport properties. We systematically investigate thickness dependence of thermoelectric transport in thin films containing networks of conjugated polymer-wrapped semiconducting carbon nanotubes. Well-controlled doping experiments suggest that the doping homogeneity and then in-plane electrical conductivity significantly depend on film thickness and polymer species. This understanding leads to achieving thermoelectric power factors as high as 412 μW m−1 K−2 in thin carbon nanotube films. This work presents a standard platform for investigating the thermoelectric properties of nanotubes.