Sugar-based block copolymer/carbon nanotube nanocomposites for thermoelectric applications
Journal
Chemical Engineering Journal
Journal Volume
523
Start Page
168612
ISSN
13858947
Date Issued
2025-11-01
Author(s)
Chen, Yen-Yu
Li, Hong
Lin, Chih-Jung
Tanaka, Koshin
Lin, Meng-Hao
Hong, Shao-Huan
Fu, Min-Chi
Ding, Jian-Fa
Borsali, Redouane
Fujigaya, Tsuyohiko
Abstract
Two sugar-based block copolymers (BCPs), maltotriose-block-polystyrene (MT-PS) and maltoheptaose-block-polystyrene (MH-PS), comprise varying oligosaccharide and polystyrene block lengths. The inherent amphiphilic characteristics of these BCPs enable efficient dispersion of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in both N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF). These solvents prove instrumental in the fabrication of BCP/CNT thin films, yielding both p-type and n-type nanocomposites. Through optimization of processing conditions, the resultant nanohybrids exhibit tremendous enhancement of thermoelectric properties, with figure of merit (zT) reaching 9.10 × 10−3 and 8.78 × 10−3 at 303 K for p-type and n-type materials, respectively. Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations confirm the effective interfacial adhesion between the sugar-based BCPs and CNTs. Detailed structural and spectroscopic analyses elucidate the correlation between solvent selection and thermoelectric performance. These findings highlight the potential of this new class of sugar-based BCP/CNT nanocomposites as efficient materials for thermoelectric applications, offering insights into the role of solvent-mediated interactions in optimizing nanocomposite functionality for energy harvesting technologies.
Subjects
Carbon nanotube
Composite
Sugar-based polymers
Thermoelectric
Thermoelectric generator
Publisher
Elsevier B.V.
Type
journal article