Synthesis and characterization of Bi2Te3/polyaniline composites

Bi2Te3 flakes and rice-like polyaniline particles have been synthesized using hydrothermal and chemical oxidation routes, respectively, and the Bi2Te3/polyaniline composites were prepared by mechanical blending. The Bi2Te3/polyaniline composites exhibit an n-type conduction, and its Seebeck coefficient is similar to that of the Bi2Te3 while the conductivity of the composites is almost the same with the polyaniline. As the synergistic effect of the Seebeck coefficient and the conductivity, the power factor of Bi2Te3/polyaniline composites is lower than that of the Bi2Te3 or polyaniline, and remains almost unchanged with temperature. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.