RPI team finds novel approach for developing efficient thermoelectric nanomaterials

The new research shows that there can be an 80 percent rise in the bilk material’s figure of merit with this new approach.
The new research shows that there can be an 80 percent rise in the bilk material’s figure of merit with this new approach. | File photo
A group of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute researchers recently used a thermoelectric material with small quantities of sulfur to discover a new approach to making significant improvements in efficient thermoelectric nanomaterials.

This discovery could chance how solid-state heating and cooling and waste energy are recaptured in science. This changes how a material’s electronic band structure (like bismuth telluride selenide) can benefit the “figure of merit,” which measures the efficiency of a material.

This discovery signals major progress for creating advanced applications for thermoelectric materials. These materials can be used to gather waste heat from power plants and use the energy in computer chips.

“This is an exciting breakthrough because this allows us to untangle two unfavorably coupled properties that limit thermoelectric performance,” Rensselaer professor of Materials Science and Engineering Ganpati Ramanath said. “Moreover, our approach works for both nanocrystals as well as bulk materials, which is relevant to applications.”

The new research shows that there can be an 80 percent rise in the bilk material’s figure of merit with this new approach.

“Seventy percent of all energy loss is heat,” Theo Borca-Tasciuc, professor of mechanical engineering at Rensselaer, said. “If we can generate even 5 percent more electricity from that waste heat, we’ll be on our way to making a big impact on power production and carbon dioxide emissions reduction. Thermoelectrics could also enable efficient, compact, and modular heat pump systems to revolutionize air conditioning for applications in cars and buildings.”