Niobium-Doped Sb2Te3 Nanowire Attached to Carbon Cloth to Enhance Thermoelectric Performance and Improve Thermoelectric Generators

Carbon cloth (CC) has commonly been used as an electrochemical electrode substrate material; however, in this study, CC is used as a flexible and conductive substrate for an attached to CC were synthesized using a hydrothermal reaction. After the Te nanowires were synthesized, Sb2Te3 was continuously synthesized. The Sb2Te3 nanowires on CC exhibited a longer and more uniform wire shape than the Sb2Te3 nanowire obtained as a precipitate during the hydrothermal reaction. During the hydrothermal reaction, the Sb2Te3 nanowires were doped with niobium (Nb). The maximal power factor of 283.7 mu W/mK2 was obtained when the Nb-doping content was 10% (1N-Sb2Te3/CC). A flexible thermoelectric generator (TEG) consisting of five p-type 1N-Sb2Te3/CC legs and the counterparts of five n-type Bi2Te3/CC legs was fabricated. The flexible TEG produced an open-circuit voltage of 50 mV and the highest power output of 5.01 mu W at a temperature difference of Delta T = 40 K.

Automated summary

In this study, carbon cloth was used as a flexible and conductive substrate, and Te nanowires were synthesized on it using a hydrothermal reaction. Sb2Te3 nanowires with longer and more uniform wire shape were then synthesized on the carbon cloth. Nb-doped Sb2Te3 nanowires exhibited the highest power factor. A flexible thermoelectric generator consisting of p-type Sb2Te3 nanowires and n-type Bi2Te3 nanowires showed high voltage and power output.