Oriented synergistic assembly of one-dimensional Te nanowires/SWCNTs for high-performance thermoelectric aerogels

The decoupling of thermoelectric performance parameters to coordinately optimize power factor (PF) and figure of merit (ZT) remains a critical challenge. Aerogels are valued for their low thermal conductivity and light weight; however, the lower electrical properties also lead to poor ZT values that affect their practical use. Herein, we implement a directional assembly strategy integrating Te nanowires (Te NWs) with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) to construct a three-dimensional interwoven network. Mechanistic analysis reveals that enhanced carrier mobility and optimized phonon scattering constitute two pivotal factors. The aerogel achieves PF and ZT of 179.61 μW m⁻¹ K⁻² and 0.27, respectively, while maintaining its low thermal conductivity. These parameters rank among the highest reported values for thermoelectric aerogels, accompanied by well-preserved compressibility of 30 %. A wrist-worn flexible device with 12 aerogel units generates 30.84 mV open-circuit voltage and 2.79 μW power output under 45 K temperature difference, demonstrating application potential.

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