Photo-thermo-electric hydrogel with interlocking photothermal layer and
hydrogel for enhancement of thermopower generation
Abstract
Photothermal devices and thermoelectric cells hold great promise for
energy generation but integration of the two remains a considerable
challenge in real-life power supply for sensors. Here, a novel
photo-thermo-electric hydrogel (PTEH-Interlocking) was constructed by
synthesis of a photothermal layer on a thermoelectric hydrogel with the
redox pair Fe(CN)63−/Fe(CN)64−. The smart design of using oxidation of
pyrogallic acid by Fe(CN)63− to construct the photothermal layer for
photo-to-heat conversion protected the redox couple of the
thermogalvanic ion pair from ultraviolet damage, as well as triggered
the formation of an interlocking structure at the interface of the
photothermal layer and the thermoelectric hydrogel. The as-prepared
PTEH-Interlocking have shown a high Seebeck coefficient and rapid heat
transfer, boosting the photo-thermo-electric conversion. As a
demonstration of a practical application, the PTEH-Interlocking cells is
successfully used as the energy supply for a mechanical sensor.