Issue 44, 2010
From the journal:

Chemical Communications

Nanostructured materials for thermoelectric applications

Sabah K. Bux,†ab   Jean-Pierre Fleurial*b  and  Richard B. Kaner*a  

* Corresponding authors

a Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and California NanoSystems Institute, University of California Los Angeles, 607 Charles E. Young Drive Box 951569, Los Angeles, USA
E-mail: kaner@chem.ucla.edu
Fax: +1 310-825-5490
Tel: +1 310-825-5346

b Power and Sensor Systems, Thermal Energy Conversion Technologies, Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, MS 277-207, Pasadena, USA
E-mail: jean-pierre.fleurial@jpl.nasa.gov
Tel: +1 818-354-4144

Abstract

Recent studies indicate that nanostructuring can be an effective method for increasing the dimensionless thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) in materials. Most of the enhancement in ZT can be attributed to large reductions in the lattice thermal conductivity due to increased phonon scattering at interfaces. Although significant gains have been reported, much higher ZTs in practical, cost-effective and environmentally benign materials are needed in order for thermoelectrics to become effective for large-scale, wide-spread power and thermal management applications. This review discusses the various synthetic techniques that can be used in the production of bulk scale nanostructured materials. The advantages and disadvantages of each synthetic method are evaluated along with guidelines and goals presented for an ideal thermoelectric material. With proper optimization, some of these techniques hold promise for producing high efficiency devices.

Graphical abstract: Nanostructured materials for thermoelectric applications

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Article information

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1039/C0CC02627A
Article type
Feature Article
Submitted
17 Jul 2010
Accepted
01 Sep 2010
First published
05 Oct 2010

Chem. Commun., 2010,46, 8311-8324

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Nanostructured materials for thermoelectric applications

S. K. Bux, J. Fleurial and R. B. Kaner, Chem. Commun., 2010, 46, 8311 DOI: 10.1039/C0CC02627A

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