Structural Engineering and Molecular Doping Strategies to Enhance Electrical Conductivity in Organic Semiconductors for Superior Thermoelectric Performance
Abstract
A significant portion of produced energy is dissipated as heat, making it crucial to find ways to capture and reuse it. Organic thermoelectric (OTE) materials have emerged as promising contenders in this field owing to their molecular engineering properties, low thermal conductivity, tunable electronic characteristics, lightweight nature, and compatibility with flexible substrates. While these advantages are notable, improving the electrical conductivity remains critical for achieving efficient thermoelectric performance. This review comprehensively scrutinizes recent advances in OTE materials, highlighting strategies such as backbone and sidechain engineering, heteroatom substitution, solvent and acid treatments, ionic modifications, organic and inorganic dopants. Apart from carbon nanostructure hybrids, this review highlights effective ways to improve electrical conductivity without compromising the Seebeck coefficient. It provides insights into future research directions aimed at advancing cost‐effective, high‐performance organic thermoelectric technologies.