Flexible Thermopiles Based on Hydrogels with Carriers Moving in Opposite Directions AITranslate

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DOI：https://doi.org/10.1021/acsapm.3c01513

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Thermoelectric generators based on body heat are green, sustainable, and flexible power sources, and their efficiency could be greatly improved by thermopiles. Herein, a unique concept of thermopiles is proposed in which two types of hydrogels with positively charged carriers moving in different directions are fabricated. One of them shows a positive Seebeck coefficient of 3.81 mV/K due to the movement of cations from the cold to hot region, while the other displays a negative Seebeck coefficient of −2.33 mV/K due to the movement of cations in the opposite direction. Notably, the Seebeck coefficient of the latter is increased by 50 times in comparison to that of the original component due to the conversion from an electronic to an ionic thermoelectric conductor. Also, the thermopile with a Seebeck coefficient of 6.18 mV/K shows excellent flexibility and stability when applied in wearable textiles. Compared to traditional wearable thermopiles, the thermopiles based on hydrogels containing carriers with opposite thermal motion directions exhibit a much more outstanding thermoelectric performance. This work contributes to addressing the lack of n-type thermoelectric materials and extending the field of thermoelectric devices.