High-performance bulk thermoelectric materials and devices

Thermoelectric technology has intrigued wide-spread interests with a direct conversion between electricity and heat.The study on thermoelectric materials ultimately comes down to improving electrical properties and reducing lattice thermal conductivity,thus leading to a considerable thermoelectric figure of merit(zT).In this paper,we summarize our recent progress in skutterudites,diamond-like compounds,liquid-like materials,thermoelectric critical phenomena and mosaic crystals,and thermoelectric devices.The significant improvement in thermoelectric materials and devices greatly promotes thermoelectric technology as an important role in future energy solution.

Thermoelectrictechnologyhasintriguedwide-spreadinterestswithadirectconversionbetweenelectricityandheat．Thestudyonthermoelectricmaterialsultimatelycomesdowntoimprovingelectricalpropertiesandreducinglatticethermalconductivity,thusleadingtoaconsiderablethermoelectricfigureofmerit(zT)．Inthispaper,wesummarizeourrecentprogressinskutterudites,diamondＧlikecompounds,liquidＧlikematerials,thermoelectriccriticalphenomenaandmosaiccrystals,andthermoelectricdevices．ThesignificantimprovementinthermoelectricmaterialsanddevicesgreatlypromotesthermoelectrictechＧnologyasanimportantroleinfutureenergysolution．