Characterization and Thermoelectric Behavior of Super-growth Carbon Nanotube Films Co-loaded with ZnO and Ag Colloids

The fabrication of low-temperature waste heat power conversion modules will require the development of thermoelectric materials based on mass-produced nanotubes such as super-growth carbon nanotubes (SGCNTs), rather than high-quality nanotubes generated on the laboratory scale. In this work, SGCNT films co-loaded with colloidal ZnO (which has a high Seebeck coefficient) and Ag (which enhances electrical conductivity) were prepared to optimize both carrier concentration and mobility. The resulting carbon-based hybrid films were found to have a p-type power factor of 100.4 µW m−1 K−2 at 383 K, which represented one of the highest values yet reported for a SGCNT system.