Synthesis and enhanced room-temperature thermoelectric properties of CuO-MWCNT hybrid nanostructured composites

Raitis Sondors, Davis Gavars, Elmars Spalva, Artis Kons, Rynno Lohmus, Margarita Volkova, Raimonds Meija, Jana Andzane (Corresponding Author)

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This work presents the synthesis of novel copper oxide-multiwalled carbon nanotube (CuO-MWCNT) hybrid nanostructured composites and a systematic study of their thermoelectric performance at near-room temperatures as a function of MWCNT wt% in the composite. The CuO-MWCNT hybrid nanostructured composites were synthesized by thermal oxidation of a thin metallic Cu layer pre-deposited on the MWCNT network. This resulted in the complete incorporation of MWCNTs in the nanostructured CuO matrix. The thermoelectric properties of the fabricated CuO-MWCNT composites were compared with the properties of CuO-MWCNT networks prepared by mechanical mixing and with the properties of previously reported thermoelectric [CuO]99.9[SWCNT]0.1 composites. CuO-MWCNT hybrid composites containing MWCNTs below 5 wt% showed an increase in the room-temperature thermoelectric power factor (PF) by ∼2 times compared with a bare CuO nanostructured reference thin film, by 5-50 times compared to mixed CuO-MWCNT networks, and by ∼10 times the PF of [CuO]99.9[SWCNT]0.1. The improvement of the PF was attributed to the changes in charge carrier concentration and mobility due to the processes occurring at the large-area CuO-MWCNT interfaces. The Seebeck coefficient and PF reached by the CuO-MWCNT hybrid nanostructured composites were 688 μV K−1 and ∼4 μW m−1 K−2, which exceeded the recently reported values for similar composites based on MWCNTs and the best near-room temperature inorganic thermoelectric materials such as bismuth and antimony chalcogenides and highlighted the potential of CuO-MWCNT hybrid nanostructured composites for applications related to low-grade waste heat harvesting and conversion to useable electricity.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)697-704
JournalNanoscale Advances
Volume6
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024
Externally publishedYes

Keywords*

  • Nanowires
  • Copper oxides
  • Nanostructured composites
  • Thermoelectric properties

Field of Science*

  • 1.3 Physical sciences
  • 1.4 Chemical sciences
  • 2.3 Mechanical engineering

Publication Type*

  • 1.1. Scientific article indexed in Web of Science and/or Scopus database

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