Multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and carbonized resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) resin were used to create a conducting aerogel with a high electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient but a low thermal conductivity. The addition of the MWCNTs caused the figure of merit (ZT) for the aerogel to increase by two orders of magnitude. The researchers determined that it was possibly to control the electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and Seebeck coefficient independently of ...
This paper proposes conducting carbon aerogels, composed of graphene and multi-walled carbon nanotubes, as an option for a thermoelectric material. The researchers found that this combination of materials increased the electrical conductivity and the Seebeck coefficient due to bridging effects, and decreased the thermal conductivity through high porosity and a uniquely structured 3-D skeleton. Atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction were used to quantify the physical structure of the aerogels. ...
