Thermoelectric characterization of PVDF:Bi₂Se₃:Au nanocomposites

We designed, fabricated, calibrated, and automated a system to characterize thin-film thermoelectric samples at room temperature. The apparatus characterizes the Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity, and the power factor. We fabricated polymer nanocomposite samples with a blend of Bi₂Se₃ nanoplatelets and Au nanorods in PVDF. Pristine samples of PVDF:Bi₂Se₃ exhibited poor electrical conductivity that we attribute to discontinuities in the conduction pathways between ends of the sample. We blended small quantities of gold nanorods into the samples to facilitate better conductivity between neighboring Bi₂Te₃ domains. We used an atomic force microscope and a scanning electron microscope to image and analyze the morphology of the thin-film samples.