Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance of Indacenodithiophene-Benzothiadiazole Copolymer Containing Polar Side Chains and Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes Composites

Composite films of indacenodithiophene-bezothiadazole copolymers bearing polar side chains (P1) and single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are found to show a competitive thermoelectric performance compared to their analogous polymers with aliphatic side chains (P2). The enhanced power factors could be attributed to the stronger interfacial interactions between the P1/SWCNTs compared to that of P2/SWCNTs containing the same ratio of SWCNTs. A maximum power factor of 161.34 μW m(−1) K(−2) was obtained for the composite films of P1/SWCNTs for a filler content of 50 wt%, which is higher than that of P2/SWCNTs (139.06 μW m(−1) K(−2), 50 wt%). Our work sheds light on the design of side-chains in efficient conjugated polymers/SWCNTs thermoelectric materials and contributes to the understanding of their thermoelectric properties.