One-pot fabrication and thermoelectric properties of Ag2Te–polyaniline core–shell nanostructures

Ag2Te–polyaniline core–shell nanostructures were fabricated by a one-pot interfacial synthesis method at room temperature. The phase structure, composition and morphology of the nanostructures were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, respectively. The nanostructures are about 80–100 nm in size, and the core of the nanostructures consists of Ag2Te nanoparticles with size of ∼10 nm. The formation mechanism of the Ag2Te–polyaniline core–shell nanostructures was proposed. The nanostructures after cold-pressing have higher Seebeck coefficient and lower thermal conductivity than both the pure Ag2Te and PANi powders after cold-pressing.

► Ag2Te–polyaniline core–shell nanostructures were one-pot fabricated.
► Formation mechanism of the nanostructures was proposed.
► Thermoelectric properties of the composite nanostructures are better than that of both pure Ag2Te and polyaniline.