RESEARCH DEVELOPMENTS IN THERMOELECTRIC MATERIALS: MOVING FORWARD WHILE REFLECTING ON THE PAST

The core of thermoelectrics, the most straightforward method for direct thermal-to-electrical energy conversion, is high-performance thermoelectric materials. The subject of thermoelectric materials research has halted multiple times in the last 60 years, but new paradigms have revitalized it each time. A number of potentially revolutionary mechanisms made possible by defects, size effects, critical phenomena, anharmonicity, and the spin degree of freedom are reviewed in this article. In order to improve material performance, these mechanisms separate the normally negatively correlated physical quantities. A variety of promising materials, sophisticated methods for material synthesis and preparation, and fresh prospects are also briefly discussed. If the current trend in thermoelectric materials development continues into the near future, the landscape of renewable energy will change.