The Thermoelectric Performance of Poly(3,4-ethylenedi oxythiophene)/Poly(4-styrenesulfonate) Thin Films

The thermoelectric performance of synthetic conductive polymers, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT/PSS), is explored. The effects of the dielectric solvent, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and of the ratio of PEDOT to PSS in the polymeric PEDOT/PSS thin films were studied systematically. Within the parameter range studied in this work, the variation of electrical conductivity overwhelmed the variation of the Seebeck coefficient, and the optimal power factor is basically determined by the highest electrical conductivity, because the Seebeck coefficient remains small over a wide range of DMSO concentrations and PEDOT:PSS ratios.