P-N Conversion in a Water Ionic Liquid Binary System for Nonredox Thermocapacitive Converters

An intriguing p-n conversion of thermoelectric property was observed in a water ionic liquid ([EMIm][Ac]) binary system with precise control over water content. The highest p-type and n-type Seebeck coefficient were optimized at water [EMIm] [Ac] molar ratio of 2:1 and 4:1, respectively. DFT calculation illustrates that a configuration of solvent separation ion pairs is preferred at the water [EMIm][Ac] molar ratio of 4:1, leading to the p-n conversion through weakening, interaction between anion clusters and gold electrodes. Furthermore, p-n thermocapacitive converters were integrated to enhance the output Seebeck voltages. This work opens up new perspectives for harvesting low grade heat with the use of fluidic materials.