Roadmap on thermoelectricity

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Energy Conversion
• Solid State Physics

Background:

• Growing global energy demand necessitates clean energy technologies.
• Thermoelectric conversion of waste heat to electricity remains underdeveloped due to low efficiency.
• Improving the thermoelectric figure of merit is crucial for practical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of recent advancements in thermoelectric materials and devices.
• To highlight experimental and computational results from the Italian research community.
• To explore strategies for optimizing thermoelectric material composition and morphology.

Main Methods:

• Experimental synthesis and characterization of thermoelectric materials.
• Computational modeling and simulation of thermoelectric properties.
• Design and integration of thermoelectric and hybrid thermoelectric/photovoltaic devices.

Main Results:

• Recent progress in optimizing the composition and morphology of thermoelectric materials.
• Development of efficient thermoelectric and hybrid devices.
• Insights into fundamental mechanisms governing thermoelectric performance.

Conclusions:

• Significant advancements have been made in thermoelectric materials and device design.
• Further research is essential to fully realize the potential of thermoelectric energy conversion.
• Optimized materials and innovative device architectures are key to efficient waste heat recovery.