The present invention provides for an inorganic nanostructure-organic polymer heterostructure, useful as a thermoelectric composite material, comprising (a) an inorganic nanostructure, and (b) an electrically conductive organic polymer disposed on the inorganic nanostructure. Both the inorganic nanostructure and the electrically conductive organic polymer are solution-processable.

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus related to thermoelectric polymer aerogels. In one aspect, a method includes depositing a solution on a substrate. The solution comprises a thermoelectric polymer. Solvent of the solution is removed to form a layer of the thermoelectric polymer. The layer is placed in a polar solvent to form a gel comprising the thermoelectric polymer. The gel is cooled to freeze the polar solvent. The gel is placed in a vacuum environment to sublimate the polar solvent from the gel to form an aerogel comprising the thermoelectric polymer.

A thermoelectric generation module having: a base material; a plurality of electrodes disposed on the base material; and a thermoelectric conversion layer that coats each of the electrodes individually leaving a portion of the electrode to which a wiring is to be connected, wherein the thermoelectric conversion layer adheres to the base material around the electrode excluding the portion of the electrode to which the wiring is to be connected.

An embodiment of the present disclosure is directed to a thermoelectric polymer composite. The composite comprises: at least one polymer selected from semiconducting polymers and conducting polymers; and at least one particle inclusion having one or more dimensions of 1 millimeter or less and at least one dimension of 10 nanometer or more. A sufficient amount of the particle inclusion is distributed within the polymer so that the power factor of the composite is greater that the power factor of either the polymer or the particle inclusion separately.

A thermoelectric material comprising carbon nanotubes and lignin. The carbon nanotubes are present as fibres and the lignin is present in pores and/or voids in the carbon nanotube fibres. The lignin may act as a dopant to increase the thermoelectric efficiency of the carbon nanotubes, multi-walled carbon nanotubes in particular. A method of forming a thermoelectric material involving impregnating fibres of carbon nanotubes with lignin, is also provided. A thermoelectric element, a fabric and a thermoelectric device comprising the thermoelectric material are also provided. The thermoelectric material may be particularly useful for the production of wearable thermoelectric devices.

A carbon nanotube aggregate includes a plurality of carbon nanotubes, a metal compound added to inside and/or outside of each of the carbon nanotubes, and an oxide film that is made of an oxide of the metal compound, and covers an outer periphery of the plurality of carbon nanotubes to define an outer surface of the carbon nanotube aggregate. Since the metal compound is shielded from the atmosphere by the oxide film, separation of the metal compound and reaction of the metal compound with oxygen or water in the atmosphere are suppressed, increasing heat resistance of the carbon nanotube aggregate.

Provided is a compound which is mixed with a thermoelectric conversion material matrix as a phonon scattering material. The compound is represented by the following formula: ##STR00001##
(In the above formula, G.sup.1 represents a functional group capable of binding to the thermoelectric conversion material matrix; G.sup.2 independently represents G.sup.1 or CH.sub.3; 0≦m≦5; 0≦m′≦5; 6≦n≦1000; and 1/1000<(the number of G.sup.1/n)≦1).

The present invention concerns a water-processable n-type semiconductor comprised of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI). The semiconductors are prepared by providing PVP and CNTs in a hydrophilic slurry and dispersing therein small amounts of PEI.

A PEDOT:PSS film having enhanced thermoelectric properties is doped with DMSO and a binary secondary dopant, such as PEO. The composition of such film causes the ratios of PEDOT in bipolaron states to be increased. As a result, the Seebeck coefficient, the electrical conductivities, and power factor of the film are increased, thereby increasing the efficiency of the film. Thus, a thermoelectric device that uses the film is able to achieve enhanced operating performance.

A method of producing a shaped product for a thermoelectric conversion element is provided. The method comprises: mixing a coarse mixture that contains metal nanoparticle-supporting carbon nanotubes, a resin component, and a solvent by dispersion treatment that brings about a cavitation effect or a crushing effect, to obtain a composition for a thermoelectric conversion element; and removing the solvent from the composition for a thermoelectric conversion element.