High-performance, air-stable, n-type thermoelectric films from a water-dispersed nickel-ethenetetrathiolate complex and ethylene glycol

An efficient solution-based process for the fabrication of air-stable n-type thermoelectric films is reported. A nickel-ethenetetrathiolate complex was synthesized in dimethyl formamide and used to produce a dispersion in an aqueous medium. The film, fabricatedviaa simple drop-casting method with ethylene glycol, exhibited a remarkably high thermoelectric n-type power factor of 33 mu W m(-1)K(-2).