Bulk nanostructured thermoelectric materials: current research and future prospects

Minnich, Austin J.; Dresselhaus, M. S.; Ren, Zhifeng; Chen, Gang

doi:10.1039/b822664b

Cited by 1,734 publications

(1,229 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…Thermoelectric materials are useful not only for generating electric power from heat, but also for providing cooling power by passing through an electric current [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. They are especially attractive as refrigerators for being reliable, noiseless, and without any moving parts [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

First-principles study of thermal transport inFeSb2

et al. 2014

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We study the thermal transport properties of FeSb 2 , a promising thermoelectric material for cooling applications at cryogenic temperatures. A first-principles formalism based on density functional theory and ab initio lattice dynamics is applied. We calculate the electronic structure, the phonon dispersion relation, the bulk thermal expansion coefficient, and the thermal conductivity of FeSb 2 and compare them with other calculations and experiments. Our calculation is found insufficient to fully explain the temperature dependence of the lattice thermal conductivity of FeSb 2 , suggesting new scattering mechanisms in this strongly correlated system. The mean free path distribution of different phonon modes is also calculated, which may provide valuable guidance in designing nanostructures for reducing the thermal conductivity of FeSb 2 and improving the thermoelectric figure of merit zT.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

First-principles study of thermal transport inFeSb2

et al. 2014

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“…During the last decade, the field of thermoelectrics has progressed enormously as evidenced by numerous reports showing enhanced ZT in nanostructured materials 7 12 such as silver antimony lead telluride (LAST) 13 and skutterudites. 14 The enhanced ZT values in these nanostructured and/or complex-structured materials are attributed to reduced lattice thermal conductivity caused by phonon boundary and defect scattering by nanostructures.…”

Section: Enhanced Zt By Nanostructuring Approachesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…7 As shown in Fig. 2, this new approach is based on the production of bulk thermoelectric composites from nanopowders containing a high density of grain boundaries.…”

Section: Enhanced Zt By Nanostructuring Approachesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Silicide Nanopowders as Low-Cost and High-Performance Thermoelectric Materials

Chen

2013

JOM

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Thermoelectric devices directly convert heat into electricity and are very attractive for waste heat recovery and solar energy utilization. If thermoelectric devices can be made sufficiently efficient and inexpensive, then they will become a transformative energy technology that can tap a significant portion (10-20%) of the vast amount of heat existing in nature as well as industrial processes. Nanopowders of Earth-abundant, silicide-based materials, such as Mg 2 Si and its alloys, provide a unique opportunity to realize this goal. This article will present an overview of recent advances in the synthesis and thermoelectric properties of silicide-based nanostructured materials.

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“…Much attention has focused on the research of nanostructured bulk materials. 7,8 In particular, the improved TE performance in nanostructured materials is mostly attributed to the reduced thermal conductivity, arising from the increased scattering of phonons. 8,9 A large grain size distribution is suited for the different phonon wavelengths.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…7,8 In particular, the improved TE performance in nanostructured materials is mostly attributed to the reduced thermal conductivity, arising from the increased scattering of phonons. 8,9 A large grain size distribution is suited for the different phonon wavelengths. 10,11 Methods for nanostructuring involve bottom-up and top-down processes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chemical and Thermoelectric Properties of Hot Pressed and Spark Plasma Sintered Type-I Clathrate Ba8Cu4.8Si41.2

Yan

Populoh

Weidenkaff

et al. 2015

Journal of Elec Materi

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Nanostructuring has been considered as an effective way to reduce the thermal conductivity and enhance the thermoelectric performance in different material systems. Here, we present the chemical and thermoelectric properties of the nanostructured bulk type-I clathrate Ba 8 Cu 4.8 Si 41.2 . The samples were prepared by consolidating ball-milled nanopowders either by hot pressing or by spark plasma sintering. Fine powders and high sintering temperatures are needed to reach a high bulk density and high thermoelectric performance in the sintered samples. The highest ZT of 0.3 at 870 K is achieved in the most dense sample sintered at 800°C by hot pressing. Further improvement is expected if smaller grain sizes could be stabilized.

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Bulk nanostructured thermoelectric materials: current research and future prospects

Cited by 1,734 publications

References 76 publications

First-principles study of thermal transport inFeSb2

First-principles study of thermal transport inFeSb2

Silicide Nanopowders as Low-Cost and High-Performance Thermoelectric Materials

Chemical and Thermoelectric Properties of Hot Pressed and Spark Plasma Sintered Type-I Clathrate Ba8Cu4.8Si41.2

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