High performance nanocellulose/antimonene composite films for solar-thermoelectric conversion

Solar-thermal conversion is an efficient and convenient method that utilizes solar energy and has attracted significant attention. In this study, efficient TEMPO-oxidized nanocellulose/antimonene (TOCNF/Sb) photothermal composite films were successfully fabricated using a TOCNF layer-by-layer self-assembly strategy during vacuum-assisted filtration. TOCNF substantially improved the mechanical properties of the few-layer antimonene nanosheet film, yielding an excellent tensile strength of 302.89 MPa and toughness of 18.27 MJ/m3. The temperature of the TOCNF/Sb composite films reached 80.3 °C under 1 sun irradiation, and the maximum temperature was achieved within 80 s. Owing to the photothermal properties of the TOCNF/Sb composites film, the solar thermoelectric generator with the TOCNF/Sb composite film could generate a voltage of 86 mV under outdoor solar irradiation, demonstrating the feasibility in the field of solar power generation.