Advancing Flexible Thermoelectric Devices with Polymer Composites

The booming of flexible electronics calls for consistent and reliable power supply. Compared to conventional energy storage systems which require frequent recharge, replacement, and maintenance, thermoelectric (TE) devices that directly convert heat into electricity exhibit desirable features including no noise, no vibration, no gas emission, and long lifetime, thus favoring the miniaturization and integrity of current flexible electronics. TE polymer composites are especially attractive as they combine the merits of both polymers and filler materials, which results in high TE performance as well as superior flexibility, thereby demonstrating high potential for flexible TE devices. Herein, some fundamental basics regarding polymer composites are presented and then recent progresses of various polymer composites based on the category of filler materials are summarized so that research efforts and results can be better comprehended. Subsequently, effective strategies to further strengthen the TE performance of polymer composites are emphasized. The following section introduces recent design prototypes of flexible TE devices based on polymer composites with rational discussion on the characteristics of each design. Finally, the remaining challenges with future research perspectives are proposed in conclusion.