THERMOELECTRIC MATERIALS: FUNDAMENTAL, APPLICATIONS AND CHALLENGES

Energy and the environment are popular themes in the 21 st century because both are closely interlinked. The current technologies are focusing on finding new, clean, safe and renewable energy sources for a better environment. Thermoelectric (TE) materials are able to generate electricity when applied a temperature different at a junction of two dissimilar materials. This is a promising technology to directly convert waste heat into electricity without any gas emission, thus providing one of the most clean and safe energy. However, the applications of TE devices are still limited due to its low energy conversion efficiency and high material cost. As a result, researches in TE materials are mainly focusing on the improving of efficiency and developing cheap materials.  In this paper, the fundamental, challenges and applications of thermoelectric materials were reviewed. In addition, currently research in thermoelectric materials and improving their efficiency will also be reviewed.