Recent Advances in Polymer-Based Thermoelectric Materials
A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Composites and Nanocomposites".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 January 2026 | Viewed by 1
Special Issue Editor
Interests: green energy technology; two-phase flow; net zero emissions (IPMVP/MV&V); thermal module (Fins); thermo-electric nanofluids; LED lighting; numerical method (CFD); polymer thermal analysis (DSC; TGA); additive manufacturing of polymers; injection molding; nanostructured polymers
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue on “Recent Advances in Polymer-Based Thermoelectric Materials” delivers an in-depth survey of synthesis strategies, structure–property relationships, device architectures, and system-integration approaches for polymer thermoelectrics. By harnessing mechanical flexibility, low cost, and solution-processability, these materials offer a scalable route to convert low-grade heat into electricity. Innovations in molecular design and doping have markedly boosted charge-carrier mobility and the Seebeck coefficient: n-type polymers employ electron-rich side chains with tailored counter-ions, while p-type systems leverage stable oxidative dopants. Nanoscale morphological control—through conductive carbon nanofiller blends and hierarchical porous scaffolds—optimizes thermal and electrical pathways, driving power factors toward 100 µW m-1 K-2 and room-temperature ZT values above 0.2. Real-world demonstrations in wearable electronics and waste-heat recovery modules underscore practical viability. The remaining hurdles include ensuring long-term stability under thermal cycling, scaling up film-deposition methods, and suppressing thermal conductivity without degrading electrical performance. By charting pathways to all-polymer modules, green synthesis routes, and integrated energy-harvesting systems, this collection equips materials scientists, electronic engineers, and energy-conversion practitioners with the insights needed to propel the field forward.
Prof. Dr. Jung-Chang Wang
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- polymer thermoelectric materials
- charge carrier mobility
- seebeck coefficient optimization
- molecular doping strategies
- nanocomposite design
- flexible energy harvesting
- figure of merit (ZT)
- solution processability
- wearable thermoelectrics
- thermal stability
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