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Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance of n‐Type Organic Semiconductor via Electric Field Modulated Photo‐Thermoelectric Effect
Author(s) -
Zhao Wenrui,
Zhang Fengjiao,
Dai Xiaojuan,
Jin Wenlong,
Xiang Lanyi,
Ding Jiamin,
Wang Xian,
Wan Yan,
Shen Hongguang,
He Zihan,
Wang Juan,
Gao Xike,
Zou Ye,
Di Chongan,
Zhu Daoben
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.202000273
Subject(s) - materials science , thermoelectric effect , optoelectronics , organic semiconductor , seebeck coefficient , semiconductor , charge carrier , electric field , thermoelectric materials , exciton , energy conversion efficiency , nanotechnology , condensed matter physics , thermal conductivity , physics , quantum mechanics , composite material , thermodynamics
Modulating photophysical processes is a fundamental way for tuning performance of many organic devices. However, it has not been explored as an effective strategy to manipulate the thermoelectric (TE) conversion of organic semiconductors (OSCs) owing to their critical requirement to carrier concentration (>10 18 cm −3 ) and the fact of low exciton separation efficiency in single element OSCs. Here, an electric field modulated photo‐thermoelectric (P‐TE) effect in an n‐type OSC is demonstrated to realize a significant improvement of TE performance. The electrical and spectroscopy characterizations reveal that the electric field gating generates combined modulation of exciton separation, charge screening, and carrier recombination, which produces a more than ten times improvement of photoinduced carrier concentration. These coupled processes contribute to the unconventional Seebeck coefficient ( S )‐electrical conductivity (σ) trade‐off relationship of the photoexcited films, therefore leading to a more than 500% enhancement in the power factor for n‐type OTE semiconductors. This work opens a unique way toward state‐of‐the‐art organic P‐TE materials for energy harvesting applications.