Thermoelectric properties of Si Nanoparticle-Polyaniline composites

The potential of silicon nanoparticle (Si NP)-polyaniline (PANI) composite as next-generation thermoelectric (TE) material has been investigated in this study. Si NPs, prepared by oxidation-etching-oxidation of milled Si powder was mechanically mixed with PANI, synthesized by oxidative polymerization of aniline. The Seebeck coefficient of dedoped PANI and its composite with Si NPs was remarkably high, but the composite behaved like a perfect insulator making it unsuitable as a TE material. However, the incorporation of Si NPs in protonated PANI showed an improvement in Seebeck coefficient by 1μV/K at room temperature without any major decrement in the electrical conductivity. Protonated PANI-Si NP composites hold immense promise as efficient TE.