The urgent need for consistent, reliable, ecofriendly, and stable power sources drives the development of new green energy materials. Thermoelectric (TE) materials receive increasing attention due to their unique capability of realizing the direct energy conversion between heat and electricity, showing diverse applications in harvesting waste heat and low‐grade heat. Carbon materials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene have experienced a rapid development as TE materials because of their intrinsic ultrahigh electrical conductivity and light weight. Besides, polymer‐based carbon composites are particularly fascinating as the combination of the merits of polymers and filler materials leads to high TE performance and superior flexibility. Herein, the recent TE advances are systematically summarized in the studied popularity of carbon materials (ie, CNTs and graphene) and the category of polymers. The conducting polymer‐based carbon materials are particularly highlighted. Finally, the remaining challenges and some tentative suggestions possibly guiding future developments are proposed, which may pave a way for a bright future of carbon and carbon composites in the energy market.

A novel strategy via the convenient construction of a pie-like structure has been developed to prepare a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)–reduced graphene oxide (PEDOT–rGO) nanocomposite with a greatly enhanced thermoelectric performance. Via a template-directed in situ polymerization, thick and uniform coatings of PEDOT layers were conveniently grown on both sides of the rGO nanosheet surfaces due to a strong π–π interfacial interaction. The nanocomposite exhibited a significantly enhanced thermoelectric performance at room temperature with a power factor of 5.2 ± 0.9 × 10⁻⁶ W m⁻¹ K⁻², greater than 13.3 times that of the PEDOT.

In this review, recent advances in organic polymer thermoelectric composites, mainly focusing on the preparation strategies to achieve enhanced thermoelectric performance, have been discussed.

Large-area, stretchable, super flexible and mechanically stable thermoelectric films of polymer/carbon nanotube composites.

Controlled synthesis of PPy nanostructures is systematically studied by adjusting various experimental parameters. Their corresponding thermoelectric performances are reported.