High-performance shape-engineerable thermoelectric painting.
Output power of thermoelectric generators depends on device engineering minimizing heat loss as well as inherent material properties. However, the device engineering has been largely neglected due to the limited flat or angular shape of devices. Considering that the surface of most heat sources where these planar devices are attached is curved, a considerable amount of heat loss is inevitable. To address this issue, here, we present the shape-engineerable thermoelectric painting, geometrically compatible to surfaces of any shape. We prepared Bi2Te3-based inorganic paints using the molecular Sb2Te3chalcogenidometalate as a sintering aid for thermoelectric particles, with ZT values of 0.67 for n-type and 1.21 for p-type painted materials that compete the bulk values. Devices directly brush-painted onto curved surfaces produced the high output power of 4.0 mW cm-2. This approach paves the way to designing materials and devices that can be easily transferred to other applications.
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea.
Sung Hoon
SH
Park
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea.
Seungki
S
Jo
Center for Electronic Materials, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea.
Beomjin
B
Kwon
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea.
Fredrick
F
Kim
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea.
Hyeong Woo
HW
Ban
Thermoelectric Conversion Research Center, Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute, Changwon 51543, Republic of Korea.
Ji Eun
JE
Lee
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea.
Da Hwi
DH
Gu
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea.
Se Hwa
SH
Lee
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea.
Younghun
Y
Hwang
Center for Electronic Materials, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea.
Jin-Sang
JS
Kim
Center for Electronic Materials, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea.
Dow-Bin
DB
Hyun
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea.
Sukbin
S
Lee
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea.
Kyoung Jin
KJ
Choi
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea.
Wook
W
Jo
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea.
Jae Sung
JS
Son