LAUSR

We present a fully inkjet-printed flexible thermoelectric device using organic and organic/inorganic hybrid materials. As part of our effort in the development of an n-type material, we present an approach to synthesize a solution processable thermoelectric hybrid material based on in situ oxidative polymerization and intercalation that can yield layered quasi two-dimensional superlattice structures. Thus, we have inserted poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) within the nanotemplates of vanadium pentoxide gel (V2O5·nH2O) in order to enhance the charge carrier concentration. Furthermore, for the first time, we adapted the hybrid (PEDOT)xV2O5 material to the inkjet printing technology, thus successfully proving the printability of (PEDOT)xV2O5. Hence, we successfully produced a thermoelectric device composed of 4 thermocouples. Moreover, we optimized the geometry of the organic thermoelectric generator (OTEG) device thanks to a numerical model; the simulated and measured results are presented. The OTEG yielded a power density as high as 0.266 μW cm−2 for a temperature gradient of 20 K, therefore unveiling the potential of hybrid V2O5-based compounds for thermoelectric applications.