Recent developments in nanostructured materials for high-performance thermoelectrics

Vaqueiro, P. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7545-6262 and Powell, A. V. (2010) Recent developments in nanostructured materials for high-performance thermoelectrics. Journal of Materials Chemistry, 20 (43). pp. 9577-9584. ISSN 0959-9428 doi: 10.1039/C0JM01193B

Abstract/Summary

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.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/40407
Identification Number/DOI	10.1039/C0JM01193B
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	No Reading authors. Back catalogue items
Publisher	Royal Society of Chemistry
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