Recent developments in nanostructured materials for high-performance thermoelectrics
- 11 August 2010
- journal article
- highlight
- Published by Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) in Journal of Materials Chemistry
- Vol. 20 (43), 9577-9584
- https://doi.org/10.1039/c0jm01193b
Abstract
This highlight discusses recent trends in the search for new high-efficiency thermoelectric materials. Thermoelectric materials offer considerable attractions in the pursuit of a more efficient use of existing energy resources, as they may be used to construct power-generation devices that allow useful electrical power to be extracted from otherwise waste heat. Here, we focus on the significant enhancements in thermoelectric performance that have been achieved through nanostructuring. The principal factor behind the improved performance appears to be increased phonon scattering at interfaces. This results in a substantial reduction in the lattice contribution to thermal conductivity, a low value of which is a key requirement for improved thermoelectric performance.Keywords
This publication has 52 references indexed in Scilit:
- Advanced Materials for Energy StorageAdvanced Materials, 2010
- Materials for Solid Oxide Fuel CellsChemistry of Materials, 2009
- Recent Advances in Sensitized Mesoscopic Solar CellsAccounts of Chemical Research, 2009
- Theory of enhancement of thermoelectric properties of materials with nanoinclusionsPhysical Review B, 2008
- Thermoelectric Materials, Phenomena, and Applications: A Bird's Eye ViewMRS Bulletin, 2006
- Thermopower enhancement in lead telluride nanostructuresPhysical Review B, 2004
- Theoretical investigation of thermoelectric transport properties of cylindrical Bi nanowiresPhysical Review B, 2000
- Experimental study of the effect of quantum-well structures on the thermoelectric figure of meritPhysical Review B, 1996
- Effect of quantum-well structures on the thermoelectric figure of meritPhysical Review B, 1993
- Materials for thermoelectric energy conversionReports on Progress in Physics, 1988