MXene Hollow Microsphere-Boosted Nanocomposite Electrodes for Thermocells with Enhanced Thermal Energy Harvesting Capability

Abstract

Thermal energy, constantly being produced in natural and industrial processes, constitutes a significant portion of energy lost through various inefficiencies. Employing the thermogalvanic effect, thermocells (TECs) can directly convert thermal energy into electricity, representing a promising energy-conversion technology for efficient, low-grade heat harvesting. However, the use of high-cost platinum electrodes in TECs has severely limited their widespread adoption, highlighting the need for more cost-effective alternatives that maintain comparable thermoelectrochemical performance. In this study, a nanocomposite electrode featuring Ti₃C₂T_x with hollow microsphere structures is rationally designed. This design addresses the restacking issue inherent in MXene nanosheets, increases the electrochemically active surface area, and modifies the original MXene surfaces with oxygen terminations, leading to improved redox kinetics at the electrode–electrolyte interface, particularly in n-type TECs employing Fe^2+/3+ redox ions. The optimized n-type TEC achieved an output power of 84.55 μW cm^–2 and a normalized power density of 0.53 mW m^–2 K^–2 under a ΔT of 40 K, outperforming noble platinum-based TECs by a factor of 5.5. An integrated device consisting of 32 TEC units with a p–n connection is also fabricated, which can be successfully utilized to power various small electronics. These results demonstrate the potential of MXene-based composite electrodes to revolutionize TEC technology by offering a cost-effective, high-performance alternative to traditional noble metal electrodes and contributing to efficient low-grade heat harvesting.