Ferrocene-modified polymer-SWCNT composite films for high-performance flexible thermoelectric generators

In this study, we explore a new design strategy for enhancing the thermoelectric performance of composites between poly(Fc-CPT)-based metallopolymers (Fc-P1, Fc-P2, and Fc-P3) and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) by modifying CPT-based polymer backbones with pendant redox-active ferrocene groups and thiophene functional groups. After optimizing the conditions, all three one-dimensional (1D) conjugated metallopolymers exhibit excellent thermoelectric performance by interacting well with SWCNTs. The study provides insights into polymer-SWCNT composites through morphological analysis and theoretical calculations. The flexible OTEG incorporating Fc-P3-SWCNT composites achieves an impressive output power of 1.18 μW at a ΔT of 72 K, underscoring the potential of these materials in advancing organic thermoelectric technologies. These findings are expected to stimulate further interest and research in high-performance OTE materials.