Super deformability and thermoelectricity of bulkγ-InSe single crystals

Indium selenide,aⅢ–Ⅴgroup semiconductor with layered structure,attracts intense attention in various photoelectric applications,due to its outstanding properties.Here,we report super deformability and thermoelectricity ofγ-In Se single crystals grown by modified Bridgeman method.The crystal structure of In Se is studied systematically by transmission electron microscopy methods combined with x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy.The predominate phase ofγ-In Se with dense stacking faults and local multiphases is directly demonstrated at atomic scale.The bulkγ-In Se crystals demonstrate surprisingly high intrinsic super deformative ability which is highly pliable with bending strains exceeding12.5%and 264%extension by rolling.At the meantime,In Se also possesses graphite-like features which is printable,writable,and erasable.Finally,the thermoelectric properties ofγ-In Se bulk single crystals are preliminary studied and thermal conductivity can be further reduced via bending-induced defects.These findings will enrich the knowledge of structural and mechanical properties'flexibility of In Se and shed lights on the intrinsic and unique mechanical properties of In Se polytypes.

Strategies for optimizing the thermoelectricity of PbTe alloys

The thermoelectric materials have been considered as a potential candidate for the new power generation technology based on their reversible heat and electricity conversion.Lead telluride（Pb Te） is regarded as an excellent mid-temperature thermoelectric material due to its suitable intrinsic thermoelectric properties.So tremendous efforts have been done to improve the thermoelectric performance of Pb Te,and figures of merit,zT 〉 2.0,have been reported.Main strategies for optimizing the thermoelectric performance have been focused as the main line of this review.The band engineering and phonon scattering engineering as two main effective strategies are systemically summarized here.The band engineering,like band convergence,resonant levels,and band flatting have been addressed in improving the power factor.Additionally,phonon scattering engineerings,such as atomic-scale,nano-scale,meso-scale,and multi-scale phonon scatterings have been applied to reduce the thermal conductivity.Besides,some successful synergistic effects based on band engineerings and phonon scatterings are illustrated as a simultaneous way to optimize both the power factor and thermal conductivity.Summarizing the above three main parts,we point out that the synergistic effects should be effectively exploited,and these may further boost the thermoelectric performance of Pb Te alloys and can be extended to other thermoelectric materials.

Lubrication condition monitoring of journal bearings in diesel engine based on thermoelectricity

There is still a lack of effective lubrication condition monitoring methods in the field of diesel engines.The paper proposes a novel thermoelectric approach to divide the lubrication state of bearings.First,the generation mechanism of thermoelectric potential on bearings is clarified.Then,both experimental and simulation studies are done,and a strong correlation between lubrication and thermoelectric potential is shown.The film thickness and temperature are further confirmed as significant factors influencing thermoelectric potential.Generally,the thermoelectric potential increases with temperature.However,a small film thickness ratio(when the film thickness ratio is less than 4)will suppress the thermoelectric potential.Three typical lubrication states of bearings are distinguished through thermoelectric potential and supported by the Stribeck curve results.Moreover,the significant influence of lubrication on the bearing is confirmed through the analysis of surface morphology and composition.

A highly sensitive LITES sensor based on a multi-pass cell with dense spot pattern and a novel quartz tuning fork with low frequency

A highly sensitive light-induced thermoelectric spectroscopy(LITES)sensor based on a multi-pass cell(MPC)with dense spot pattern and a novel quartz tuning fork(QTF)with low resonance frequency is reported in this manuscript.An erbi-um-doped fiber amplifier(EDFA)was employed to amplify the output optical power so that the signal level was further enhanced.The optical path length(OPL)and the ratio of optical path length to volume(RLV)of the MPC is 37.7 m and 13.8 cm^(-2),respectively.A commercial QTF and a self-designed trapezoidal-tip QTF with low frequency of 9461.83 Hz were used as the detectors of the sensor,respectively.The target gas selected to test the performance of the system was acetylene(C2H2).When the optical power was constant at 1000 mW,the minimum detection limit(MDL)of the C2H2-LITES sensor can be achieved 48.3 ppb when using the commercial QTF and 24.6 ppb when using the trapezoid-al-tip QTF.An improvement of the detection performance by a factor of 1.96 was achieved after replacing the commer-cial QTF with the trapezoidal-tip QTF.

Harness High-Temperature Thermal Energy via Elastic Thermoelectric Aerogels

Despite notable progress in thermoelectric(TE)materials and devices,developing TE aerogels with high-temperature resistance,superior TE performance and excellent elasticity to enable self-powered high-temperature monitoring/warning in industrial and wearable applications remains a great challenge.Herein,a highly elastic,flame-retardant and high-temperature-resistant TE aerogel,made of poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate)/single-walled carbon nanotube(PEDOT:PSS/SWCNT)composites,has been fabricated,displaying attractive compression-induced power factor enhancement.The as-fabricated sensors with the aerogel can achieve accurately pressure stimuli detection and wide temperature range monitoring.Subsequently,a flexible TE generator is assembled,consisting of 25 aerogels connected in series,capable of delivering a maximum output power of 400μW when subjected to a temperature difference of 300 K.This demonstrates its outstanding high-temperature heat harvesting capability and promising application prospects for real-time temperature monitoring on industrial high-temperature pipelines.Moreover,the designed self-powered wearable sensing glove can realize precise wide-range temperature detection,high-temperature warning and accurate recognition of human hand gestures.The aerogel-based intelligent wearable sensing system developed for firefighters demonstrates the desired self-powered and highly sensitive high-temperature fire warning capability.Benefitting from these desirable properties,the elastic and high-temperature-resistant aerogels present various promising applications including self-powered high-temperature monitoring,industrial overheat warning,waste heat energy recycling and even wearable healthcare.

Soft,body conformable electronics for thermoregulation enabled by kirigami

The application of thermoelectric devices(TEDs)for personalized thermoregulation is attractive for saving energy while balancing the quality of life.TEDs that directly attach to human skin remarkably minimized the energy wasted for cooling the entire environment.However,facing the extreme dynamic geometry change and strain of human skin,conventional TEDs cannot align with the contour of our bodies for the best thermoregulation effect.Hence,we designed a kirigami-based wearable TED with excellent water vapor permeability,flexibility,and conformability.Numerical analysis and experimental results reveal that our product can withstand various types of large mechanical deformation without circuit rupture.The stated outcome and proposed facile approach not only reinforce the development of wearable TEDs but also offer an innovative opportunity for different electronics that require high conformability.

多功能热电织物用于可穿戴无线传感系统

Flexible thermoelectric materials play an important role in smart wearables,such as wearable power generation,self-powered sensing,and personal thermal management.However,with the rapid development of Internet of Things(IoT)and artificial intelligence(AI),higher standards for comfort,multifunctionality,and sustainable operation of wearable electronics have been proposed,and it remains challenging to meet all the requirements of currently reported thermoelectric devices.Herein,we present a multifunctional,wearable,and wireless sensing system based on a thermoelectric knitted fabric with over 600 mm·s^(-1)air permeability and a stretchability of 120%.The device coupled with a wireless transmission system realizes self-powered monitoring of human respiration through an mobile phone application(APP).Furthermore,an integrated thermoelectric system was designed to combine photothermal conversion and passive radiative cooling,enabling the characteristics of being powered by solar-driven in-plane temperature differences and monitoring outdoor sunlight intensity through the APP.Additionally,we decoupled the complex signals of resistance and thermal voltage during deformation under solar irradiation based on the anisotropy of the knitted fabrics to enable the device to monitor and optimize the outdoor physical activity of the athlete via the APP.This novel thermoelectric fabricbased wearable and wireless sensing platform has promising applications in next-generation smart textiles.

Engineering Thermoelectric Performance of α-GeTe by Ferroelectric Distortion

The rhombohedralα-GeTe can be approximated as a slightly distorted rock-salt structure along its[111]direction and possesses superb thermoelectric performance.However,the role of such a ferroelectric-like structural distortion on its transport properties remains unclear.Herein,we performed a systematic study on the crystal structure and electronic band structure evolutions of Ge_(1-x)Sn_(x)Te alloys where the degree of ferroelectric distortion is continuously tuned.It is revealed that the band gap is maximized while multiple valence bands are converged at x=0.6,where the ferroelectric distortion is the least but still works.Once undistorted,the band gap is considerably reduced,and the valence bands are largely separated again.Moreover,near the ferro-to-paraelectric phase transition Curie temperature,the lattice thermal conductivity reaches its minima because of significant lattice softening enabled by ferroelectric instability.We predict a peak ZT value of 2.6 at 673 K inα-GeTe by use of proper dopants which are powerful in suppressing the excess hole concentrations but meanwhile exert little influence on the ferroelectric distortion.

Rational design and synthesis of Cr_(1-x)Te/Ag_(2)Te composites for solid-state thermoelectromagnetic cooling near room temperature

Materials with both large magnetocaloric response and high thermoelectric performance are of vital importance for all-solid-state thermoelectromagnetic cooling.These two properties,however,hardly coexist in single phase materials except previously reported hexagonal Cr_(1-x)Te half metal where a relatively high magnetic entropy change(-△S_(M))of~2.4 J·kg^(-1)·K^(-1)@5 T and a moderate thermoelectric figure of merit(ZT)of~1.2×10^(-2)@300 K are simultaneously recorded.Herein we aim to increase the thermoelectric performance of Cr_(1-x)Te by compositing with semiconducting Ag_(2)Te.It is discovered that the in-situ synthesis of Cr_(1-x)Te/Ag_(2)Te composites by reacting their constitute elements above melting temperatures is unsuccessful because of strong phase competition.Specifically,at elevated temperatures(T>800 K),Cr_(1-x)Te has a much lower deformation energy than Ag_(2)Te and tends to become more Cr-deficient by capturing Te from Ag_(2)Te.Therefore,Ag is insufficiently reacted and as a metal it deteriorates ZT.We then rationalize the synthesis of Cr_(1-x)Te/Ag_(2)Te composites by ex-situ mix of the pre-prepared Cr_(1-x)Te and Ag_(2)Te binary compounds followed by densification at a low sintering temperature of 573 K under a pressure of 3.5 GPa.We show that by compositing with 7 mol%Ag_(2)Te,the Seebeck coefficient of Cr_(1-x)Te is largely increased while the lattice thermal conductivity is considerably reduced,leading to 72%improvement of ZT.By comparison,-△S_(M)is only slightly reduced by 10%in the composite.Our work demonstrates the potential of Cr_(1-x)Te/Ag_(2)Te composites for thermoelectromagnetic cooling.

A review on the cooling of energy conversion and storage systems using thermoelectric modules

Exploitation of sustainable energy sources requires the use of unique conversion and storage systems,such as solar panels,batteries,fuel cells,and electronic equipment.Thermal load management of these energy conversion and storage systems is one of their challenges and concerns.In this article,the thermal management of these systems using thermoelectric modules is reviewed.The results show that by choosing the right option to remove heat from the hot side of the thermoelectric modules,it will be a suitable local cooling,and the thermoelectric modules increase the power and lifespan of the system by reducing the spot temperature.Thermoelectric modules were effective in reducing panel temperature.They increase the time to reach a temperature above 50℃ in batteries by 3 to 4 times.Also,in their integration with fuel cells,they increase the power density of the fuel cell.

Boosting thermoelectric efficiency of Ag_(2)Se through cold sintering process with Ag nano-precipitate formation

Silver selenide(Ag_(2)Se)stands out as a promising thermoelectric(TE)material,particularly for applications near room temper-atures.This research presents a novel approach for the fabrication of bulk Ag_(2)Se samples at a relatively low temperature(170℃)using the cold sintering process(CSP)with AgNO_(3)solution as a transient liquid agent.The effect of AgNO_(3)addition during CSP on the micro-structure and TE properties was investigated.The results from phase,composition and microstructure analyses showed that the introduc-tion of AgNO_(3)solution induced the formation of Ag nano-precipitates within the Ag_(2)Se matrix.Although the nano-precipitates do not af-fect the phase and crystal structure of orthorhombicβ-Ag_(2)Se,they suppressed crystal growth,leading to reduced crystallite sizes.The samples containing Ag nano-precipitates also exhibited high porosity and low bulk density.Consequently,these effects contributed to sig-nificantly enhanced electrical conductivity and a slight decrease in the Seebeck coefficient when small Ag concentrations were incorpor-ated.This resulted in an improved average power factor from~1540μW·m^(−1)·K^(−2)for pure Ag_(2)Se to~1670μW·m^(−1)·K^(−2)for Ag_(2)Se with additional Ag precipitates.However,excessive Ag addition had a detrimental effect on the power factor.Furthermore,thermal conductiv-ity was effectively suppressed in Ag_(2)Se fabricated using AgNO_(3)-assisted CSP,attributed to enhanced phonon scattering at crystal inter-faces,pores,and Ag nano-precipitates.The highest figure-of-merit(zT)of 0.92 at 300 K was achieved for the Ag_(2)Se with 0.5wt%Ag dur-ing CSP fabrication,equivalent to>20%improvement compared to the controlled Ag_(2)Se without extra Ag solution.Thus,the process outlined in this study presents an effective strategy to tailor the microstructure of bulk Ag_(2)Se and enhance its TE performance at room temperature.

Waste Cotton-Derived Fiber-Based Thermoelectric Aerogel for Wearable and Self-Powered Temperature-Compression Strain Dual-Parameter Sensing

The rapid development of the global economy and population growth are accompanied by the production of numerous waste textiles.This leads to a waste of limited resources and serious environmental pollution problems caused by improper disposal.The rational recycling of wasted textiles and their transformation into high-value-added emerging products,such as smart wearable devices,is fascinating.Here,we propose a novel roadmap for turning waste cotton fabrics into three-dimensional elastic fiber-based thermoelectric aerogels by a one-step lyophilization process with decoupled self-powered temperature-compression strain dual-parameter sensing properties.The thermoelectric aerogel exhibits a fast compression response time of 0.2 s,a relatively high Seebeck coefficient of 43μV·K^(-1),and an ultralow thermal conductivity of less than 0.04 W·m^(-1)·K^(-1).The cross-linking of trimethoxy(methyl)silane(MTMS)and cellulose endowed the aerogel with excellent elasticity,allowing it to be used as a compressive strain sensor for guessing games and facial expression recognition.In addition,based on the thermoelectric effect,the aerogel can perform temperature detection and differentiation in self-powered mode with the output thermal voltage as the stimulus signal.Furthermore,the wearable system,prepared by connecting the aerogel-prepared array device with a wireless transmission module,allows for temperature alerts in a mobile phone application without signal interference due to the compressive strains generated during gripping.Hence,our strategy is significant for reducing global environmental pollution and provides a revelatory path for transforming waste textiles into high-value-added smart wearable devices.

Ultrafast Response and Threshold Adjustable Intelligent Thermoelectric Systems for Next‑Generation Self‑Powered Remote IoT Fire Warning

Fire warning is vital to human life,economy and ecology.However,the development of effective warning systems faces great challenges of fast response,adjustable threshold and remote detecting.Here,we propose an intelligent self-powered remote IoT fire warning system,by employing single-walled carbon nanotube/titanium carbide thermoelectric composite films.The flexible films,prepared by a convenient solution mixing,display p-type characteristic with excellent high-temperature stability,flame retardancy and TE(power factor of 239.7±15.8μW m^(-1) K^(-2))performances.The comprehensive morphology and structural analyses shed light on the underlying mechanisms.And the assembled TE devices(TEDs)exhibit fast fire warning with adjustable warning threshold voltages(1–10 mV).Excitingly,an ultrafast fire warning response time of~0.1 s at 1 mV threshold voltage is achieved,rivaling many state-of-the-art systems.Furthermore,TE fire warning systems reveal outstanding stability after 50 repeated cycles and desired durability even undergoing 180 days of air exposure.Finally,a TED-based wireless intelligent fire warning system has been developed by coupling an amplifier,analogto-digital converter and Bluetooth module.By combining TE characteristics,high-temperature stability and flame retardancy with wireless IoT signal transmission,TE-based hybrid system developed here is promising for next-generation self-powered remote IoT fire warning applications.

Single-and Two-band Transport Properties Crossover in Bi_(2)Te_(3)Based Thermoelectrics

Based on Peltier effect,Bi_(2)Te_(3)-based alloy is widely used in commercial solid-state refrigeration at room temperature.The mainstream strategies for enhancing room-temperature thermoelectric performance in Bi_(2)Te_(3)focus on band and microstructure engineering.However,a clear understanding of the modulation of band structure and scattering through such engineering remains still challenging,because the minority carriers compensate partially the overall transport properties for the narrow-gap Bi_(2)Te_(3)at room temperature(known as the bipolar effect).The purpose of this work is to model the transport properties near and far away from the bipolar effect region for Bi_(2)Te_(3)-based thermoelectric material by a two-band model taking contributions of both majority and minority carriers into account.This is endowed by shifting the Fermi level from the conduction band to the valence band during the modeling.A large amount of data of Bi_(2)Te_(3)-based materials is collected from various studies for the comparison between experimental and predicted properties.The fundamental parameters,such as the density of states effective masses and deformation potential coefficients,of Bi_(2)Te_(3)-based materials are quantified.The analysis can help find out the impact factors(e.g.the mobility ratio between conduction and valence bands)for the improvement of thermoelectric properties for Bi_(2)Te_(3)-based alloys.This work provides a convenient tool for analyzing and predicting the transport performance even in the presence of bipolar effect,which can facilitate the development of the narrow-gap thermoelectric semiconductors.

Effect of Molecular Weight on Thermoelectric Performance of P3HT Analogues with 2-Propoxyethyl Side Chains

By replacing hexyl chains in poly(3-hexylthiophene)(P3HT)with 2-propoxyethyls,four poly(3-(2-propoxyethyl)thiophene)(P3POET)homopolymers with comparable polydispersity indexes(PDI)and regioregularities were prepared herein in addition with step increment of about 7 kDa on numberaverage molecular weight(M_(n))from around 11 to 32 kDa(accordingly denoted as P11k,P18k,P25k,and P32k).When doped in film by FeCl_(3)at the optimized conditions,the maximum power factor(PF_(max))increases greatly from 4.3μW·m^(-1)·K^(-2)for P11k to 8.8μW·m^(-1)·K^(-2)for P18k,and further to 9.7μW·m^(-1)·K^(-2)for P25k,followed by a slight decrease to 9.2μW·m^(-1)·K^(-2)for P32k.The close Seebeck coefficients(S)at PF_(max)are observed in these doped polymer films due to their consistent frontier orbital energy levels and Fermi levels.The main contribution to this PF_(max)evolution thus comes from the corresponding conductivities(σ).Theσvariation of the doped films can be rationally correlated with their microstructure evolution.

Solvation Engineering via Fluorosurfactant Additive Toward Boosted Lithium-Ion Thermoelectrochemical Cells

Lithium-ion thermoelectrochemical cell(LTEC), featuring simultaneous energy conversion and storage, has emerged as promising candidate for low-grade heat harvesting. However, relatively poor thermosensitivity and heat-to-current behavior limit the application of LTECs using LiPF_6 electrolyte. Introducing additives into bulk electrolyte is a reasonable strategy to solve such problem by modifying the solvation structure of electrolyte ions. In this work, we develop a dual-salt electrolyte with fluorosurfactant(FS) additive to achieve high thermopower and durability of LTECs during the conversion of low-grade heat into electricity. The addition of FS induces a unique Li~+ solvation with the aggregated double anions through a crowded electrolyte environment,resulting in an enhanced mobility kinetics of Li~+ as well as boosted thermoelectrochemical performances. By coupling optimized electrolyte with graphite electrode, a high thermopower of 13.8 mV K^(-1) and a normalized output power density of 3.99 mW m^(–2) K^(–2) as well as an outstanding output energy density of 607.96 J m^(-2) can be obtained.These results demonstrate that the optimization of electrolyte by regulating solvation structure will inject new vitality into the construction of thermoelectrochemical devices with attractive properties.

GaInX_3(X=S,Se,Te):Ultra-low thermal conductivity and excellent thermoelectric performance

Seeking intrinsically low thermal conductivity materials is a viable strategy in the pursuit of high-performance thermoelectric materials.Here,by using first-principles calculations and semiclassical Boltzmann transport theory,we systemically investigate the carrier transport and thermoelectric properties of monolayer Janus GaInX_(3)(X=S,Se,Te).It is found that the lattice thermal conductivities can reach values as low as 3.07 W·m^(-1)·K^(-1),1.16 W·m^(-1)·K^(-1)and 0.57 W·m^(-1)·K^(-1)for GaInS_(3),GaInSe_(3),and GaInTe_(3),respectively,at room temperature.This notably low thermal conductivity is attributed to strong acoustic-optical phonon coupling caused by the presence of low-frequency optical phonons in GaInX_(3) materials.Furthermore,by integrating the charac teristics of electronic and thermal transport,the dimensionless figure of merit ZT can reach maximum values of 0.95,2.37,and 3.00 for GaInS_(3),GaInSe_(3),and GaInTe_(3),respectively.Our results suggest that monolayer Janus GaInX_(3)(X=S,Se,Te)is a promising candidate for thermoelectric and heat management applications.

Diameter-dependent ultra-high thermoelectric performance of ZnO nanowires

Zinc oxide(ZnO)shows great potential in electronics,but its large intrinsic thermal conductivity limits its thermoelectric applications.In this work,we explore the significant carrier transport capacity and diameter-dependent thermoelectric characteristics of wurtzite-ZnO(0001)nanowires based on first-principles and molecular dynamics simulations.Under the synergistic effect of band degeneracy and weak phonon-electron scattering,P-type(ZnO)_(73) nanowires achieve an ultrahigh power factor above 1500μW·cm^(-1)·K^(-2)over a wide temperature range.The lattice thermal conductivity and carrier transport properties of ZnO nanowires exhibit a strong diameter size dependence.When the ZnO nanowire diameter exceeds 12.72A,the carrier transport properties increase significantly,while the thermal conductivity shows a slight increase with the diameter size,resulting in a ZT value of up to 6.4 at 700 K for P-type(ZnO)_(73).For the first time,the size effect is also illustrated by introducing two geometrical configurations of the ZnO nanowires.This work theoretically depicts the size optimization strategy for the thermoelectric conversion of ZnO nanowires.

Atomic-resolution Interfacial Microstructure and Thermo-electro-magnetic Energy Conversion Performance of Gd/Bi_(0.5)Sb_(1.5)Te_(3)Composites

Thermo-electro-magnetic materials with simultaneously large magnetocaloric(MC)and thermoelectric(TE)effects are the core part for designing TE/MC all-solid-state cooling devices.Compositing MC phase with TE material is an effective approach.However,the elemental diffusion and chemical reaction occurring at the two-phase interfaces could significantly impair the cooling performance.Herein,Gd/Bi_(0.5)Sb_(1.5)Te_(3)(Gd/BST)composites were prepared by a low-temperature high-pressure spark plasma sintering method with an aim to control the extent of interfacial reaction.The reaction of Gd with the diffusive Te and the formation of GdTe nanocrystals were identified at the Gd/BST interfaces by the atomic-resolution microscope.The formed Bi’_(Te)antisite defects and enhanced{000 l}preferential orientation in BST are responsible for the increased carrier concentration and mobility,which leads to optimized electrical properties.The heterogeneous interface phases,along with antisite defects,favor the phonon scattering enhancement and lattice thermal conductivity suppression.The optimized composite sintered at 693 K exhibited a maximum ZT of 1.27 at 300 K.Furthermore,the well-controlled interfacial reaction has a slight impact on the magnetic properties of Gd and a high magnetic entropy change is retained in the composites.This work provides a universal approach to fabricating thermo-electro-magnetic materials with excellent MC and TE properties.

Low-Cost and Biodegradable Thermoelectric Devices Based on van der Waals Semiconductors on Paper Substrates

We present a method to fabricate handcrafted thermoelectric devices on standard office paper substrates.The devices are based on thin films of WS_(2),Te,and BP(P-type semiconductors)and TiS_(3)and TiS_(2)(N-type semiconductors),deposited by simply rubbing powder of these materials against paper.The thermoelectric properties of these semiconducting films revealed maximum Seebeck coefficients of(+1.32±0.27)mV K^(-1)and(-0.82±0.15)mV K^(-1)for WS_(2)and TiS_(3),respectively.Additionally,Peltier elements were fabricated by interconnecting the P-and N-type films with graphite electrodes.A thermopower value up to 6.11 mV K^(-1)was obtained when the Peltier element were constructed with three junctions.The findings of this work show proof-of-concept devices to illustrate the potential application of semiconducting van der Waals materials in future thermoelectric power generation as well as temperature sensing for low-cost disposable electronic devices.