| Summary: | We propose two techniques to improve the power generating performance of the “thermoelectric power generating paper” based on carbon nanotube (CNT) that we reported in our previous study. First, we remove the excess amount of dispersant (sodium dodecyl sulfate; SDS) in the sample by immersing the sample in nitric acid under a suitable condition (e.g., only SDS is expected to be decomposed and removed, but CNT and pulp are retained), thus improving the conductivity of the paper. Second, we dope the contained CNT in the composite paper by adsorbing KOH and 18-Crown-6 molecule physically so that it exhibits an n-type characteristic. In thermoelectric power generation, a large electromotive force can generally be obtained by combining p-type and n-type semiconductors. The semiconducting CNT is known to exhibit a p-type property normally because of O2 adsorption in the air, so we tried to make an n-type semiconducting paper. As a result, we succeeded in obtaining the n-type semiconducting paper, and the paper maintained the property for at least 45 days. Finally, we multi-staged the modified paper for a demonstration of power generation and measured the performance. The results showed that the multi-staged thermoelectric power generating paper had up to 10.0 mV of electromotive force and 0.31 mA of short-circuit current. This unique thermoelectric power generating paper has great potential for use in daily life by combining it with existing products made from paper.
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