Future Trends in Alternative Sustainable Materials for Low-Temperature Thermoelectric Applications

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Sustainable Energy
• Thermoelectric Devices

Background:

• Pervasive electronics demand reduced energy consumption and sustainable fabrication.
• Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) offer promising energy harvesting from environmental thermal gradients.
• Current commercial TEGs rely on scarce, expensive, and toxic V-VI chalcogenides, hindering widespread adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively review the latest advancements in emerging alternative materials for sustainable thermoelectric generators.
• To identify materials that address the challenges of cost and environmental impact in room-temperature thermoelectrics.
• To highlight materials suitable for the next generation of flexible and printed TEGs for applications like wearables and the Internet of Things.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of recent scientific publications on thermoelectric materials.
• Analysis of emerging alternative materials beyond traditional chalcogenides.
• Focus on sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and fabrication processes with minimal carbon footprint.

Main Results:

• Identification of promising alternative materials for room-temperature thermoelectric applications.
• Discussion of advancements in thermoelectric polymers and other less-explored material classes.
• Highlighting the potential of these materials for flexible and printed thermoelectric devices.

Conclusions:

• Emerging alternative materials offer a sustainable and cost-effective path for next-generation thermoelectric generators.
• These materials are key to enabling widespread adoption of TEGs in applications such as wearables and the Internet of Things.
• Continued research into sustainable thermoelectric materials is vital for the future of pervasive electronics.