Thermoelectric devices and materials articles from across Nature Portfolio

Authors propose a pathway to design GeTe based thermoelectric materials with high thermoelectric performance and mechanical properties by nanotwin architecture and inducing high valley degeneracy.

Coupling two ionic thermoelectric effects in n-type materials is scarce, restricting the development of high-performance systems. Here, the authors present an ionic-thermoelectric material with interactive thermo-diffusion/galvanic coupling effect based on coordination chemistry.

This study reports a Ag₂(Se_1-xS_x)_1.05-based fully printed origami thermoelectric generators, achieving a high power density of 21 W m⁻² at a temperature difference of 80 K. It enables low-cost, battery-free wearables and Internet-of-Things applications.

Transverse thermoelectric devices can overcome the low efficiency and complex manufacturing processes associated with longitudinal thermoelectric generators. Here, thermoelectric transport in molybdenum disilicide is investigated, finding that is an ideal transverse thermoelectric material without a magnetic field.

Here, the authors develop a moisture-gradient-enhanced ionic thermoelectric generator that achieves high voltage and energy density, demonstrating wearable application for respiration monitoring and robotic systems with environmental and tactile sensing.

The decarbonization of industrial sectors requires the development of environmentally friendly high-temperature heat-pump technologies. This Review evaluates the potential of various solid-state and gas-cycle approaches and the challenges involved and outlines a roadmap for future development.

An article in Energy & Environmental Science proposes an electrolyte engineering approach to optimize the efficiency of thermoelectrochemical cells for low-grade heat harvesting.

An article in Nature presents a polymeric thermoelectric material with a figure of merit of 1.28.

A strategy for the design of Cu₂Se thermoelectric legs for power generation is demonstrated, involving finite element modelling and three-dimensional printing to optimize their macroscopic geometries and microscopic defects. A device with an hourglass-shaped leg exhibits enhanced power generation performance compared with one with a traditional cuboid leg.

Contact design is a major challenge in the development of thermoelectric devices. New research shows that silver nanoparticles soldered at low temperature can sustain high service temperatures, improving the stability of devices operating across a wide range of temperatures and exploiting the maximum working temperature of thermoelectric materials.