Metal oxides (Ca3Co4O9, CaMnO3, SrTiO3, In2O3), Ti sulfides, and Mn silicides are promising thermoelectric (TE) material candidates for cascade-type modules that are usable in a temperature range of 300–1200 K in air. In this paper, we review previous studies in the field of TE materials development and make recommendations for each material regarding future research. Furthermore, the R&D of TE modules composed of metal oxide materials and the prospect of their commercialization for energy harvesting is demonstrated.

Thermoelectric Ceramics for Energy Harvesting

A natural superlattice with composition (SnS)1.2(TiS2)2, built by intercalating a SnS layer into the van der Waals gap of layered TiS2, has been directly observed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The thermoelectric performance is improved in the direction parallel to the layers because the electron mobility is maintained while simultaneously suppressing phonon transport, which is attributed to softening of the transverse sound velocities due to weakened interlayer bonding. In the direction perpendicular to the layers, the lattice thermal conductivity of (SnS)1.2(TiS2)2 is even lower than the predicted minimum thermal conductivity, which may be caused by phonon localization due to the translational disorder of the SnS layers parallel to the layers. Moreover, we propose a large family of misfit-layer compounds (MX)1+x(TX2)n (M = Pb, Bi, Sn, Sb, rare-earth elements; T = Ti, V, Cr, Nb, Ta; X = S, Se; n = 1, 2, 3) with a natural superlattice structure as possible candidate high-performance thermoelectric materials.

Intercalation: Building a Natural Superlattice for Better Thermoelectric Performance in Layered Chalcogenides

The past two decades have witnessed the emergence and rapid growth of the research field of nanoscale thermal transport. Much of the work in this field has been fundamental studies that have explored the mechanisms of heat transport in nanoscale films, wires, particles, interfaces, and channels. However, in recent years there has been an increasing emphasis on utilizing the fundamental knowledge gained toward understanding and improving device and system performances. In this opinion article, an attempt is made to provide an evaluation of the existing and potential impacts of the basic research efforts in this field on the developments of the heat transfer discipline, workforce, and a number of technologies, including heat-assisted magnetic recording, phase change memories, thermal management of microelectronics, thermoelectric energy conversion, thermal energy storage, building and vehicle heating and cooling, manufacturing, and biomedical devices. The goal is to identify successful examples, significant...

Evaluating broader impacts of nanoscale thermal transport research

The nature of the glass transition, the transformation of a liquid into a disordered solid, still remains one of the most intriguing unsolved problems in materials science. Recent models rationalize crucial features of vitrification with the presence of medium-range ordered regions coexisting with the isotropic liquid. Here, in line with this prediction, we report an extraordinary enhancement in bond orientational order in ultrathin films of supercooled polyols, grown by physical vapour deposition. By varying the deposition conditions and the molecular size, we could tune the kinetic stability of the liquid phase enriched in bond orientational order towards conversion into the ordinary liquid phase. We observed a strong increase in the dielectric strength with respect to the ordinary supercooled liquid and slower structural dynamics, suggesting the existence of a metastable liquid phase with improved orientational correlations.

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Supercooled liquids with enhanced orientational order

A modification of the modulated elemental reactants synthetic technique was developed and used to synthesize eleven members of the [(SnSe)1.15]m(TaSe2)n family of compounds, with m and n equal to integer values between 1 and 6. Each of the intergrowth compounds contained highly oriented intergrowths of SnSe bilayers and TaSe2 monolayers with abrupt interfaces perpendicular to the c-axis. The c-lattice parameter increased 0.579(1) nm per SnSe bilayer and 0.649(1) nm per Se–Ta–Se trilayer (TaSe2) as m and n were varied. ab-plane X-ray diffraction patterns and transmission electron microscope images revealed a square in-plane structure of the SnSe constituent, a hexagonal in-plane structure for the TaSe2 constituent, and rotational disorder between the constituent layers. Temperature dependent electrical resistivity, measured on several specimens, revealed metallic behavior, and a simple model is presented to explain the differences in resistivity as a function of m and n.

Synthesis of [(SnSe)1.15]m(TaSe2)n Ferecrystals: Structurally Tunable Metallic Compounds

The synthesis and characterization of new [(BiSe)1.10]m[NbSe2]n, [(PbSe)1.10]m[NbSe2]n, [(CeSe)1.14]m[NbSe2]n and [(PbSe)1.12]m[TaSe2]n misfit layered compounds ☆

Scott Duncombe

Papers

The synthesis and characterization of new [(BiSe)1.10]m[NbSe2]n, [(PbSe)1.10]m[NbSe2]n, [(CeSe)1.14]m[NbSe2]n and [(PbSe)1.12]m[TaSe2]n misfit layered compounds ☆