Pyrite-bismuth telluride heterojunction for hybrid electromagnetic-to- thermoelectric energy harvesting

R Karthik and YW Zheng and CC de Oliveira and SP Raman and PAD Autreto and A Vashisth and CS Tiwary, JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY C, 13 (2025).

DOI: 10.1039/d5tc02617b

The rapid proliferation of wireless networks and connected devices has led to the pervasive dissipation of electromagnetic (EM) energy into the environment-an underutilized resource for energy harvesting. Here, we demonstrate a pyrite (FeS2)-bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) heterostructure that enables hybrid electromagnetic-to-thermoelectric energy conversion. Fabricated via a simple cold-press compaction of powders, the heterostructure forms a Schottky interface at FeS2, facilitating efficient RF absorption and localized heating. This heat is harvested by Bi2Te3 through thermoelectric conversion. Under 35 MHz RF irradiation at 1 W input power, the device achieved a local temperature rise of 46 degrees C and a thermal gradient of 5.5 K across the Bi2Te3, resulting in a peak power density of similar to 13 mW cm-2. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and density functional theory (DFT) calculations further elucidate the heat transport behaviour and interfacial thermoelectric performance. This work introduces a new class of heterostructures for RF-responsive energy harvesting, offering a scalable route toward self-powered IoT and wireless sensing systems.

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