Multi‐Scale Microstructural Thermoelectric Materials: Transport Behavior, Non‐Equilibrium Preparation, and Applications

• Published in: Advanced materials (Weinheim) Vol. 29; no. 20
• Main Authors: Su, Xianli, Wei, Ping, Li, Han, Liu, Wei, Yan, Yonggao, Li, Peng, Su, Chuqi, Xie, Changjun, Zhao, Wenyu, Zhai, Pengcheng, Zhang, Qingjie, Tang, Xinfeng, Uher, Ctirad
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.05.2017
• Subjects: Atomic structure; Dissipation; Energy consumption; Equilibrium; Hybrid systems; Hybrid vehicles; Mesoscale phenomena; Microstructure; Multiscale analysis; multi‐scale microstructures; non‐equilibrium preparation; power generation; Scaling up; Solar generators; Thermoelectric materials; Transport; Waste heat; multi-scale microstructures; power generation; thermoelectric materials; non-equilibrium preparation
• ISSN: 0935-9648; 1521-4095
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.201602013

Considering only about one third of the world's energy consumption is effectively utilized for functional uses, and the remaining is dissipated as waste heat, thermoelectric (TE) materials, which offer a direct and clean thermal‐to‐electric conversion pathway, have generated a tremendous worldwide interest. The last two decades have witnessed a remarkable development in TE materials. This Review summarizes the efforts devoted to the study of non‐equilibrium synthesis of TE materials with multi‐scale structures, their transport behavior, and areas of applications. Studies that work towards the ultimate goal of developing highly efficient TE materials possessing multi‐scale architectures are highlighted, encompassing the optimization of TE performance via engineering the structures with different dimensional aspects spanning from the atomic and molecular scales, to nanometer sizes, and to the mesoscale. In consideration of the practical applications of high‐performance TE materials, the non‐equilibrium approaches offer a fast and controllable fabrication of multi‐scale microstructures, and their scale up to industrial‐size manufacturing is emphasized here. Finally, the design of two integrated power generating TE systems are described—a solar thermoelectric‐photovoltaic hybrid system and a vehicle waste heat harvesting system—that represent perhaps the most important applications of thermoelectricity in the energy conversion area. Recent progress on optimization of thermoelectric performance via the engineering of structures with different dimensional aspects is reviewed, spanning from the atomic and molecular scale, to nanometer sizes, and to the mesoscale, which can be achieved through non‐equilibrium fast and controllable synthesis. Moreover, the design of two integrated thermoelectric power‐generating systems are described—a solar thermoelectric–photovoltaic hybrid system and a vehicle waste‐heat‐harvesting system.