Preparation of high-performance bismuthene thermoelectric composites doped with graphene using UV-curing 3D printing technology

Thermoelectric materials are of tremendous interest due to their capacity to convert waste heat into useful electrical energy. Bismuthene nanosheets (BiNS) have recently emerged as a promising material for thermoelectric applications because of their unique two-dimensional structure and low thermal conductivity. However, the development of efficient and scalable methods for preparing BiNS-based thermoelectric composites with improved performance remains a challenge. In this study, we reported a novel approach to preparing a thin film BiNS-based thermoelectric composite with UV-curing 3D printing technology. The composite was prepared using BiNS as the filler and a UV-sensitive resin as the matrix, which contained 5 vol% graphene as the third phase to enhance the thermoelectric performance of the composite. The results showed that the prepared composite exhibited stable thermoelectric performance, with a maximum power factor of 311.79 +/- 13.90 mu W/mK(2) when the volume fraction of BiNS reached 95 vol%. The electrical conductivity of the composite improved significantly as the volume fraction of BiNS increased from 75 to 95 vol%. The Seebeck coefficient remained essentially unchanged in the range of 70.1-70.7 mu V/K. These findings demonstrate the potential of BiNS-based thermoelectric composites prepared by UV-curing 3D printing technology for practical applications in energy harvesting and cooling devices.