Irregular hierarchical-porous polymer for high-performance soft thermoelectrics

Science 2026

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Authors: Xiao Zhang, Xiao Zhang, Dongyang Wang, Dongyang Wang, Liyao Liu, Zhiyi Li, Zhen Ji, Xuefeng Zhang, Xuefeng Zhang, Chunlin Xu, Chaoyi Yan, Mengdi Wang
+15 more Yuqiu Di, Lixin Niu, Zepang Zhan, Yue Zhao, Xiaojuan Dai, Yu Guan, Bo Guan, Cheng Li, Ye Zou, Dong Wang, Dong Wang, Fengjiao Zhang, Deqing Zhang, Daoben Zhu, Chong-an Di
DOI: 10.1126/science.adx9237
Cited by: 20
References: 113

Abstract

Polymer thermoelectrics offer an inherently soft, cost-effective, and lightweight solution to convert ubiquitous heat sources into sustainable electricity. However, their realistic applications are hindered by insufficient performance and the scaling complexity. We introduce irregular hierarchical-porous thermoelectric polymers, featuring irregularly shaped and distributed pores with diameters that range from less than 10 nanometers to micrometers. This porous structure not only enhances multiple phonon-like scattering, achieving a 72% reduction in lattice thermal conductivity, but also unexpectedly improves charge transport through nanoconfinement-enhanced crystallization. The optimized film yields a benchmark figure-of-merit zT of 1.64 at 343 kelvin. Moreover, this method is compatible with easy-to-process spray-coating techniques.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Advanced Thermoelectric Materials and Devices Thermal properties of materials Thermal Expansion and Ionic Conductivity

Publication details

Journal / source
Science
Publisher
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Volume
391
Issue
6789
Pages
1063–1069
Publication date
5 March 2026
Language
EN