Simultaneous power generation and cooling using semiconductor-sensitized thermal cells

Abstract

This manuscript reports a semiconductor-sensitized thermal cell (STC) that converts ambient heat into electrical power while simultaneously reducing its own temperature under isothermal conditions. Using a printable semiconductor--electrolyte architecture, we fabricate $4\mathrm{cm}\times 4\mathrm{cm}$ devices that generate up to approximately $0.2\mathrm{mW}$ at temperatures of $40$--$55{}^{\circ }\mathrm{C}$. During continuous discharge, the STC exhibits a transient temperature decrease followed by thermal equilibration with the environment. In contrast, periodic on--off discharge produces sustained cooling of approximately $1{}^{\circ }\mathrm{C}$ relative to a non-discharging reference. Notably, parallel integration of four STCs yields a nonlinear enhancement of cooling (approximately $5{}^{\circ }\mathrm{C}$) without a corresponding increase in electrical output. The observed behavior can be understood within a macroscopic energy-balance framework, in which time modulation of electrochemical heat consumption prevents the establishment of thermal steady state. These results demonstrate sustained isothermal cooling induced by heat-to-electricity conversion at practical device scales, and highlight semiconductor-sensitized thermal cells as a platform for coupled energy harvesting and thermal management.

33 pages, 6 figures and Supplementary Information