High-performance, flexible, and ultralong crystalline thermoelectric fibers

Abstract High-performance flexible thermoelectric devices are increasingly demanded to efficiently convert thermal energy to electricity by covering heat sources with arbitrary and conformal geometries. However, some fundamental limitations still exist, e.g., low output power density, poor mechanical stability, and small cover area, which have largely restricted their studies and applications. Here, we fabricate crystalline thermoelectric micro/nanowires by thermally drawing hermetically sealed high-quality inorganic thermoelectric materials in a flexible fiber-like substrate. The resulting thermoelectric fibers are intrinsically crystalline, highly flexible, ultralong, and mechanically stable, while maintaining high thermoelectric properties as their bulk counterparts. Two types of thermoelectric generators covered on different curved surfaces are constructed to provide mW/cm2-level output power density. Additionally, a wearable two-dimensional cooling textile is assembled to achieve a maximum cooling of 5 °C. This approach works for a broad range of thermoelectric materials, and bridges the gap between high-performance thermoelectric micro/nanowires and their integrated devices for practical applications.

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