Improved thermoelectric properties of graphene reinforced multiphase cement composites: experiments and modeling

Nanoscale graphene has demonstrated effectiveness in self-sensing cement composites and energy harvesting in buildings. However, the widespread application of graphene reinforced cement composites (GRCCs) in energy conversion is hindered by their low thermoelectric conversion efficiency. To address this limitation, multiphase cement composites with high Seebeck coefficient and low thermal conductivity are designed by using Cu2Se and ZnO. The increase in carrier mobility and enhanced phonon scattering lead to an order of magnitude improvement in the figure of merit (ZT) compared to GRCCs without incorporating Cu2Se/ZnO. A hybrid micromechanical model (HMM) based on effective medium theory and the Mori–Tanaka method is developed for predicting the electrical and thermal conductivity of the multiphase cement composites, which can be used to evaluate the thermoelectric performances of the composites. The combined experiments and modeling aim to provide guidelines for developing high-performance GRCCs with improved thermoelectric properties, potentially expanding their application in energy conversion technologies.