Carbon Nanotube-Polyurethane Composite Sheets for Flexible Thermoelectric Materials

Integration of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in the form of fabriclike sheets or other preformed assemblies (films, fibers, etc.) simplifies their handling and allows for composites with higher nanotube contents, which is needed to better exploit their outstanding properties and achieve multifunctional materials with improved performance. Here, we show the development of p-type SWCNT-thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) fabric materials with a wide range of SWCNT contents (from 5 to 90 wt %) by employing a one-step filtration method using a suspension of SWCNTs in a TPU solvent/nonsolvent mixture. The mechanical and thermoelectric (TE) properties of these SWCNT-TPU nanocomposites were tailored by varying the SWCNT/TPU wt % ratio, achieving significant advantages relative to the pristine SWCNT buckypaper (BP) sheets in terms of strength and stretchability. In particular, the SWCNT-TPU nanocomposite with a 50/50 wt % ratio composition (equivalent to 15 vol % of SWCNTs) shows a power factor (PF) of 57 mu W m(-1) K-2, slightly higher compared to the PF of the SWCNT BP prepared under the same conditions (54 mu W m(-1) K-2), while its mechanical properties significantly increased (e.g., similar to 7-, 25-, and 250-fold improvements in stiffness, strength, and tensile toughness, respectively). These results represent a significant step toward the development of easy-to-process self-supporting and stretchable materials with robust mechanical properties for flexible thermoelectric devices.

Automated summary

The integration of SWCNTs in fabric-like sheets simplifies handling and allows for composites with higher nanotube contents. In this study, p-type SWCNT-TPU fabric materials with a wide range of SWCNT contents were developed using a one-step filtration method. The mechanical and thermoelectric properties of these nanocomposites were tailored by varying the SWCNT/TPU wt % ratio, resulting in improved strength and stretchability compared to pristine SWCNT buckypaper. These findings represent a significant step towards the development of easy-to-process self-supporting and stretchable materials for flexible thermoelectric devices.