Improving the thermoelectric performance of polyaniline through a thieno[3,2-b]thiophene-based π-conjugated additive
Materials Research Innovations, 2026 (Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1080/14328917.2026.2707239
- Dergi Adı: Materials Research Innovations
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Scopus, Applied Science & Technology Source, Chemical Abstracts Core, Compendex, INSPEC, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Engineering Source (EBSCO)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: composite, energy filtering, polyaniline, power factor, seebeck coefficient, Thermoelectric, thieno[3,2-b]thiophene
- Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
This study incorporates Thieno[3,2-b]thiophene (TT-Ch), a highly π-conjugated additive with a thieno–thiophene core, into polyaniline (PANI) to enhance its TE properties. Structural analyses revealed reduced interlayer spacing and a highly homogeneous composite morphology, generating abundant PANI/TT-Ch interfaces that promote energy filtering of low-energy carriers. Optical tests demonstrated a considerable decrease in bandgap, reaching 1.43 eV, indicating enhanced electronic conjugation and carrier transport routes. TE measurements showed a significant improvement in the Seebeck coefficient, which increased from 123.5 μV/K for the composite with 5 wt% TT-Ch. While carrier concentration decreased, a contemporaneous increase in carrier mobility ensured that the electrical conductivity remained strong. Achieving a maximum power factor of 21.3 μW/mK2 marked a considerable achievement for organic small-molecule/polymer composites. Overall, the incorporation of the strongly conjugated TT-Ch molecule effectively restructures the PANI matrix and creates favourable charge-transport pathways, providing a simple molecular design strategy for achieving high-performance organic thermoelectric composites.