Self-healable polymer complex with a giant ionic thermoelectric effect

This study introduces a stretchable/self-healable polymer, PEDOT:PAAMPSA:PA, exhibiting high ionic thermoelectric (ITE) properties, achieving an ionic figure-of-merit (ZTᵢ) of 12.3 at 70% relative humidity (RH). ITE properties are optimized by controlling ion carrier concentration, diffusion coefficient, and Eastman entropy. High stretchability and self-healing are attributed to dynamic interactions between components, with ITE properties retained under repeated mechanical stress. An ionic thermoelectric capacitor (ITEC) device using PEDOT:PAAMPSA:PA achieves a maximum power output of 4.59 µW·m⁻² and energy density of 1.95 mJ·m⁻². A 9-pair ITEC module generates 0.37 V·K⁻¹ thermovoltage, demonstrating potential for self-powering sources.

Dong-Hu Kim, Zico Alaia Akbar, Yoga Trianzar Malik, Ju-Won Jeon, Sung-Yeon Jang