Recent advances in ionic thermoelectric systems and theoretical modelling.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Energy Conversion
• Sustainable Technology

Background:

• Traditional thermoelectric materials face limitations in converting waste heat to electricity.
• Ionic thermoelectric (i-TE) materials present a promising alternative with high ionic thermopower and low thermal conductivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and categorize ionic thermoelectric materials.
• To highlight their application in ionic thermoelectric supercapacitors (ITESCs) for enhanced waste heat harvesting.
• To explore optimization strategies and future directions in the field.

Main Methods:

• Categorization of i-TE materials into thermally diffusive and thermogalvanic types.
• Analysis of i-TE materials for ionic thermoelectric supercapacitors (ITESCs).
• Exploration of thermogalvanic cells and combined devices, including theoretical modeling.

Main Results:

• Thermally diffusive i-TE materials exhibit superior thermopower.
• ITESCs demonstrate significantly higher voltages from low-grade heat compared to conventional technologies.
• Optimization parameters and theoretical models for device performance are discussed.

Conclusions:

• Ionic thermoelectric materials, particularly thermally diffusive types, are key to next-generation waste heat harvesting.
• Further research is needed to enhance i-TE material performance and energy density for flexible applications.
• This review provides a comprehensive overview to guide future development in sustainable energy technologies.