Plastic film becomes "energy converter", Chinese scientists make breakthrough in flexible thermoelectric material technology.

According to the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Chemistry, Academician Zhu Daoben and Researcher Di Zhongan's team, in collaboration with domestic partners, have successfully developed irregular multi-level porous plastic thermoelectric thin films. Its core performance index of thermoelectric figure of merit exceeds 1.64, setting a world record for the performance of flexible thermoelectric materials in the same temperature range. This provides key material support for the development of wearable devices, adherent refrigeration, and IoT sensors. Thermoelectric materials are "energy magicians" that can realize the mutual conversion of heat and electricity. Based on two basic physical effects, the Seebeck effect and the Peltier effect, it is possible to generate electricity and refrigerate without fuel or noise. Therefore, it is of great significance in the fields of energy conservation, emission reduction, and green energy.