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Thermoelectric material is a kind of functional material that can convert thermal energy and electrical energy. The Seebeck effect discovered in 1823 and the Peltier effect discovered in 1834 provided a theoretical basis for the application of thermoelectric energy converters and thermoelectric refrigeration. The thermoelectric refrigerator with the Peltier effect has the advantages that the mechanical compression refrigerator is difficult to match: small size, light weight, no mechanical rotating parts, no noise, no liquid or gaseous medium, so there is no environmental pollution problem. It can achieve precise temperature control, fast response speed and long service life. It can also provide a low-temperature environment for the use of superconducting materials. In addition, the use of thermoelectric materials to prepare micro-elements for the preparation of micro-power, micro-zone cooling, optical communication laser diode and infrared sensor temperature adjustment system has greatly expanded the application of thermoelectric materials. Therefore, thermoelectric materials are a kind of materials with a wide range of application prospects. In today's increasingly serious environmental pollution and energy crisis, research on new types of thermoelectric materials has strong practical significance.
Figure 1. High-performance flexible thermoelectric materials.
Figure 2. Crystal structure of skutterudite CoSb3
Figure 3. Ca3Co4O9 crystal structure
The thermoelectric materials can be divided into the following three categories according to their operating temperature.
Zhao L D, Tan G, Hao S, et al. (2016) "Ultrahigh power factor and thermoelectric performance in hole-doped single-crystal SnSe." Science, 351(6269): 141-144.
Zhao L D, Lo S H, Zhang Y, et al. (2014) "Ultralow thermal conductivity and high thermoelectric figure of merit in SnSe crystals." Nature, 508(7496): 373-377.