Current state of thermoelectric material science and the search for new effective materials

Abstract

The reasons for the recent increased interest in thermoelectricity are considered. Modern thermoelectric materials for practical use are reviewed. Criteria to be met by effective thermoelectric materials are analyzed. It is shown that the solid-solution method has almost completely exhausted itself. Directions in the search for new thermoelectric material classes are analyzed. The development of new bulk thermoelectric materials is connected with the search for and design of materials in which the peculiarities of the structure determine the strong scattering of phonons and decrease in thermal conductivity while maintaining high transport properties of charge carriers. The concept ‘phonon glass–electron crystal’ is of practical interest. Scientific and technological advances over the last decade give hope that more effective thermoelectric materials will be developed in the nearest future. One of the perspective applications of new thermoelectric materials is connected with the development of thermoelectric generators with segmented thermoelectric elements.