Composite Based Polymer Gel Electrolyte for Thermoelectrochemical Cell Applications

Abstract

The need for efficient and renewable ways to generate electricity is increasing as the world faces an ongoing energy crisis. Energy harvesting technologies like Thermoelectrochemical cells (TECs) are promising solution in this scenario which converts heat into electricity. This research explores the development and performance analysis of gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) for TECs, focusing on a composite made from carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), polyaniline (PANI), potassium ferricyanide (K₃[Fe(CN)₆]) and potassium ferrocyanide (K₄[Fe(CN)₆]), which is incorporated into copper (Cu) electrodes for use in wearable devices. The electrochemical testing of the Gel electrolyte was performed which involved four different compositions, specifically with 0.01g, 0.02g, 0.03g, and 0.04g of polyaniline (PANI) relative to carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). Among these, the composition with 0.03g PANI exhibited the best performance and was subsequently selected for thermoelectric cell (TEC) testing. The p-type TECs demonstrated a significant increase in its seebeck coefficient 4.02mV/K at the temperature difference (ΔT) 30°C. The device showed a stable thermosensitive response over a wide temperature range of 5°C to 35°C, well-suited for typical operating conditions of wearable electronics and sensors. At ΔT = 30°C, the TEC produced a voltage output of 141mV. Furthermore, connecting two p-type TECs in series resulted in a cumulative boost in the overall voltage output.