Selected approaches for designing oxide thermoelectrics

Abstract

Thermoelectric (TE) effect provides an elegant solution for conversion of the waste heat into electrical energy, based on the intrinsically simple technology employing no moving parts and possessing self-sufficiency to enable mobile or remote applications. In some energy-conversion scenarios the cost and thermal stability requirements may dominate over effciency issues, making abundant, high-temperature-stable and low-toxic oxides an interesting alternative TE material. The talk will focus on opportunities for high-temperature thermoelectric energy harvesting and feature some promising strategies to design performing oxide-based thermoelectrics. Particular attention will be given to the approaches where inherent redox flexibility of oxides is invoked for tailoring the functional TE properties, and some nanocomposite concepts.