New trends, strategies and opportunities in thermoelectric materials: A perspective

Abstract Thermoelectric energy conversion system has great appeal in term of its silence, simplicity and reliability as compared with traditional power generator and refrigerator. The past two decades witnessed a significantly increased academic activities and industrial interests in thermoelectric materials. One of the most important impetuses for this boost is the concept of “nano”, which could trace back to the pioneer works of Mildred S. Dresselhaus at 1990s. Although the pioneer passed away, the story about the nano thermoelectric materials is still continuous. In this perspective, we will review the main mile stones along the concept of thermoelectric nanocomposites, and then discuss some new trends, strategies and opportunities.