Crystallinity-limited thermoelectric properties of single-walled carbon nanotube sheets prepared using high-speed laminar flow dispersion

Abstract

The use of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in thermoelectric energy conversion has recently received substantial attention in the energy harvesting field, and their structure–property relationships are still unclear. In this study, we report SWCNT bucky papers with a thermoelectric power factor exceeding 300 µW m⁻¹ K⁻². Using a laminar flow wet dispersion approach, we prepared SWCNT inks and films with controlled crystallinity and have explained the relationship between the crystallinity and thermoelectric properties of SWCNTs. Both the Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity are substantially improved with increasing crystallinity. Continuous flow dispersion is now identified as an industrial mass-processable approach for producing SWCNT dispersions. In this context, this research proposes a practical approach to using high-quality SWCNTs in thermoelectric power generators.