On the relationship between Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity of PEDOT:PSS-based materials

• Grant number: 24/16442-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2025
• End date: December 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Condensed Matter Physics
• Principal Investigator: Giovani Fornereto Gozzi
• Grantee: Diego Basaldua Chirai
• Host Institution: Instituto de Geociências e Ciências Exatas (IGCE). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is a polymer with excellent electrical and thermoelectrical properties that has been recently studied in the thermoslectricity area. This material has been considered in applications studies as well as in studies regarding the improvement of its thermoelectrical properties. To a large extent, the previous studies focused on the PEDOT:PSS-based material Seebeck constant (thermal electromotive force per temperature gradient). As a general concept in the thermoelectricity field, one can assume improvement of a material electrical conductivity results in its Seebeck constant decreasing. However, for organic conducting materials, such as PEDO:PSS, this behavior is not always observed. Therefore, in this project we aim to evaluate the correlation between Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity on PEDOT:PSS-based material produced with different weight fractions of PEDOT:PSS and an isulating polymer. This material formulation method will be used for material conductivity control and to obtain screen-printing compatible materials. Using the different formulations, we will produce samples for electrical conductivity and Seebeck constant characterization. Therefore, the correlation between charge transport and the Sebeck coefficient will be performed using the experimental data. Besides, we also aim to determine how the materials power factor and thermoelectric energetic efficiency depend on the concentration of the conducting phase.