Monolithic Carbon Nanotube Film Thermoelectric Generator

The design and development of a thermoelectric generator (TEG) with minimal internal resistance is crucial for achieving high output power in self-powered wearable technologies. This work presents a novel flexible TEG comprising single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) thermoelements, fabricated through a sacrificial molding process. Different from the traditional TEG structural design, our TEG's p -and n -type SWCNT thermoelements are formed monolithically without any interconnections. This integration eliminates the presence of internal resistance within the device. Equipped with eight pairs of the p -and n -type SWCNT thermoelements, the TEG exhibits an open-circuit voltage ( \textit{V}_{\text{oc}}\text{)} of \sim 21.82 mV and an internal resistance of \sim 16.56 \Omega , corresponding to a maximum output power of approximately 7.19 \mu W at a temperature gradient ( \Delta \textit{T}\,\,\text{)} of 50 ^{\circ} C. Additionally, the TEG demonstrated its capability to harvest energy from a fingertip, generating a \textit{V}_{\text{oc}} of around 2.58 mV at a \Delta T of 8.8 ^{\circ} C. These results highlight the potential of the monolithically formed SWCNT thermoelements for achieving high-power density TEGs.