Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-cphqk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-27T15:04:29.439Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Promise of Nanocomposite Thermoelectric Materials

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Mildred Dresselhaus ,
Gang Chen ,
Zhifeng Ren ,
Kenneth McEnaney ,
G. Dresselhaus  and
Jean-Pierre Fleurial
Mildred Dresselhaus
Affiliation:
millie@mgm.mit.edu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Gang Chen
Affiliation:
gchen2@mit.edu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Zhifeng Ren
Affiliation:
renzh@bc.edu, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States
Kenneth McEnaney
Affiliation:
mcenaney@mit.edu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
G. Dresselhaus
Affiliation:
gene@mgm.mit.edu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Jean-Pierre Fleurial
Affiliation:
jean-pierre.fleurial@jpl.nasa.gov, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, United States

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The concept of using nanocomposite thermoelectric materials in bulk form for practical applications is presented. Laboratory studies have shown the possibilities of nanostructures to yield large reductions in the thermal conductivity while at the same time increasing the power factor. Theoretical studies have suggested that structural ordering in nano-systems is not necessary for the enhancement of ZT, leading to the idea of using nanocomposites as a practical scale-up technology for making bulk thermoelectric materials with enhanced ZT values. Specific examples are presented of nanocomposite thermoelectric materials developed by our group based on the familiar silicon germanium system, showing enhanced thermoelectric performance through nano-structuring.

Keywords

thermoelectricnanostructurethermoelectricity
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1166: Symposium N – Materials and Devices for Thermal-to-Electric Energy Conversion , 2009 , 1166-N02-01
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2009

References

1Population data from 1950 - 2050: Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat. World Population Prospects: The 2008 Revision. United Nations, 2008.Google Scholar
2Population data from 1750 - 1950: United Nations. The World at Six Billion. United Nations, 1999.Google Scholar
3U.S. Department of Energy. Energy Information Administration. Report# DOE/EIA-0484: International Energy Outlook 2008. Washington: Government Printing Office (2008).Google Scholar
4 Houghton, J.T. et al., Climate change 2001: The Scientific Basis. (IPCC, Cambridge, UK, 2001).Google Scholar
5 World International Renewable Energy Conference, Washington, 2008.Google Scholar
6 International Energy Agency. Energy to 2050: Scenarios for a Sustainable Future. (IEA, France 2003).Google Scholar
7 Shi, X. et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 92 182101, (2008).10.1063/1.2920210Google Scholar
8 Venkatasubramanian, R., Siivola, E., Colpitts, T., and O'Quinn, B., Nature 413 597–602 (2001).10.1038/35098012Google Scholar
9 Harman, T.C., Taylor, P.J., Walsh, M.P., and LaForge, B.E., Science 297 (5590) 2229–2232 (2002).10.1126/science.1072886Google Scholar
10 Poudel, B. et al., Science 320 (5876) 634–638 (2008).10.1126/science.1156446Google Scholar
11 Heremans, J.P. et al., Science 321 (5888) 554–557 (2008).10.1126/science.1159725Google Scholar
12 Yang, R., Ph.D. dissertation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2006.Google Scholar
13 Henry, A.S. and Chen, G., J. Comput. Theor. Nanosci., 5, 141–152 (2008).10.1166/jctn.2008.2454Google Scholar
14 Minnich, A.J., Dresselhaus, M.S., Ren, Z.F., and Chen, G., Energy Environ. Sci. (in press).Google Scholar
15 Dresselhaus, M.S. et al., Advanced Materials, 19, 1043–1053 (2007).10.1002/adma.200600527Google Scholar
16 Joshi, G. et al., Nano Lett. 8 (12) 4670–4674 (2008).10.1021/nl8026795Google Scholar
17 Wang, X.W. et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 93 193121 (2008).10.1063/1.3027060Google Scholar
18 Zhu, G. et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. (in press).Google Scholar
19 Matsubara, K., in 21st International Conference on Thermoelectrics, Portland, OR, 2002, pp. 418–423.Google Scholar