Fabrication of pedot: Pss-pvp nanofiber-embedded sb₂te₃ thermoelectric films by multi-step coating and their improved thermoelectric properties

Antimony telluride thin films display intrinsic thermoelectric properties at room temperature, although their Seebeck coefficients and electrical conductivities may be unsatisfactory. To address these issues, we designed composite films containing upper and lower Sb₂Te₃ layers encasing conductive poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)-polyvinylpyrrolidone(PVP) nanowires. Thermoelectric Sb₂Te₃/PEDOT:PSS-PVP/Sb₂Te_3(ED) (STPPST) hybrid composite films were prepared by a multi-step coating process involving sputtering, electrospinning, and electrodeposition stages. The STPPST hybrid composites were characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, and infrared spectroscopy. The thermoelectric performance of the prepared STPPST hybrid composites, evaluated in terms of the power factor, electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient, demonstrated enhanced thermoelectric efficiency over a reference Sb₂Te₃ film. The performance of the composite Sb₂Te₃/PEDOT:PSS-PVP/Sb₂Te₃ film was greatly enhanced, with σ = 365 S/cm, S = 124 µV/K, and a power factor 563 µW/mK.