Article ID: 010305
The application of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in thermoelectric energy conversion has attracted significant attention to an energy harvesting field for the last decade, and their structure-property relationship has yet to be elucidated. In this paper we report on SWCNT buckypapers with a thermoelectric power factor exceeding 300 μW m–1 K–2. By using a laminar-flow wet-dispersion method, we prepare SWCNT inks and films with controlled crystallinity, and then elucidate the relationship between crystallinity and thermoelectric properties of SWCNTs. Both the Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity are significantly enhanced with the SWCNTs’ crystallinity improved. Continuous flow dispersion is now recognized as an industrial mass-processable way for SWCNT dispersion. In this context, this work presents a practical way for utilizing high-quality SWCNTs in thermoelectric power generators.
