Thermoelectric materials are those that can be used to convert heat into electricity, or vice versa. They have a wide range of applications, from power generation to refrigeration.
The most important property of a thermoelectric material is its figure of merit, which is a measure of its efficiency in converting heat into electricity. The higher the figure of merit, the more efficient the material. Thermoelectric materials with high figures of merit are therefore highly sought-after for use in applications where efficiency is paramount, such as power generation and refrigeration.
There are many different types of thermoelectric materials, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. The most commonly used type is bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3), which has a relatively high figure of merit but is also quite expensive. Other types include lead telluride (PbTe), antimony telluride (Sb2Te3), and skutterudites (a class of minerals containing rare earth elements). Each type has its own unique properties that make it suitable for certain applications.
One promising new type of thermoelectric material is nanostructured graphene, which has an extremely high figure of merit due to its unique electronic properties. Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice, and it has been shown to have superior electrical and thermal conductivity compared to other materials. This makes it an ideal candidate for use in thermoelectric devices where both high efficiency and low cost are desired.