The thermoelectric properties of PEDOT:PSS/Bi 0.5 Sb 1.5 Te 3 polymer/inorganic bulk composites with different Bi 0.5 Sb 1.5 Te 3 content were investigated. The composites were prepared at various concentrations of Bi 0.5 Sb 1.5 Te 3 by a solution-phase process before grinding to fine powders in liquid N 2 for hot pressing into bulk polymer composite materials. The measured transport properties are well described within a theoretical model for effective media involving a tunneling mechanism induced by thermal voltage fluctuations. Our results present a strategy for the preparation of bulk polymer composites and demonstrate an avenue for optimization of the thermoelectric properties of PEDOT:PSS/Bi 0.5 Sb 1.5 Te 3 bulk composites. V C 2015 AIP Publishing LLC. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4933254] Recently, polymers have been considered for thermoelectric applications primarily because of their unique combination of properties that are atypical of inorganic material, namely, mechanical flexibility, low cost, low temperature and low cost processing, and general non-toxicity
