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Applied Sciences
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Nanostructured Thermoelectrics; Synthesis, Processing and Applications
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Nanostructured Thermoelectrics; Synthesis, Processing and Applications

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanotechnology and Applied Nanosciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2019) | Viewed by 23041

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Muhammet S. Toprak

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Applied Physics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
Interests: nanomaterials; nanoengineering; colloidal synthesis; green chemistry; thermoelectrics; energy efficiency; heat transfer surfaces; nanofluids; nanocomposites; hybrid materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Assoc. Prof. Sedat Ballikaya

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Istanbul University, Turkey
Interests: thermoelectric materials, hybrid energy system, zone melting, arc melting, thermoelectric module technology, flexible thermoelectric

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nanotechnology has made an impact in many fields, not to mention energy harvesting materials including the thermoelectrics (TE). Several known TE materials have shown significantly improved conversion performance when made of nanosized building blocks, due to confinement and/or scattering based effects. The “nano” approach offers the possibility of decoupling and engineering the power factor and thermal conductivity separately.  One important aspect in bulk TEs is to maintain the nano-features intact within the material during the further processing steps by avoiding conventional processing routes, which make use of high temperature processes for prolonged periods.

Achieving a high ZT was at the top of the list of items for a disruptive TE technology.  Despite ZT level of >2 has been achieved in nanostructured TE materials, we have not seen a new wave of marketable TE products yet. This is mainly due to material stability and contact related problems for packaging these materials into devices. Nanocomposites, or hybrid materials concepts may provide with more stable materials compositions and architectures, which may allow the TE technology to become more widespread.

 [Aim and Scope ]

This special issue aims at addressing different approaches of synthesis of bulk TE materials with nanoscale features and nanocomposites using methodologies ranging from solution phase synthesis to mechanochemical alloying/grinding techniques. Research on processing of these TE materials, as well TE devices made using nanostructured TEs, including hybrid materials or nanocomposites, are under the topics covered in this special issue due to their significance for paving the road from materials to niche TEG devices. Another focus of this special issue will be on theory and numerical simulation modeling extraordinary behaviors arising from nanostructuring, and simulation of nanostructured TE devices.

Prof. Dr. Muhammet S. Toprak
Assoc. Prof. Sedat Ballikaya
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • nanomaterial
  • thermoelectric
  • colloidal synthesis
  • mechanochemical synthesis
  • SPS sintering
  • skutterudites
  • chalcogenides
  • hybrid thermoelectrics
  • nanocomposites
  • thermal energy harvesting
  • heat to power conversion
  • waste heat recovery
  • thermoelectric module
  • flexible module technology
  • inorganic-polymer thermoelectric
  • 3D printing materials
  • numerical simulation and modelling for nanostructured thermoelectric materials and devices

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 1731 KiB  
Article
Facile Solution Synthesis, Processing and Characterization of n- and p-Type Binary and Ternary Bi–Sb Tellurides
by Bejan Hamawandi, Sedat Ballikaya, Hazal Batili, Viking Roosmark, Martina Orlovská, Aminu Yusuf, Mats Johnsson, Rafal Szukiewicz, Maciej Kuchowicz and Muhammet S. Toprak
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(3), 1178; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app10031178 - 10 Feb 2020
Cited by 33 | Viewed by 3641
Abstract
The solution synthesis route as a scalable bottom-up synthetic method possesses significant advantages for synthesizing nanostructured bulk thermoelectric (TE) materials with improved performance. Tuning the composition of the materials directly in the solution, without needing any further processing, is important for adjusting the [...] Read more.
The solution synthesis route as a scalable bottom-up synthetic method possesses significant advantages for synthesizing nanostructured bulk thermoelectric (TE) materials with improved performance. Tuning the composition of the materials directly in the solution, without needing any further processing, is important for adjusting the dominant carrier type. Here, we report a very rapid (2 min) and high yield (>8 g/batch) synthetic method using microwave-assisted heating, for the controlled growth of Bi2–xSbxTe3 (x: 0–2) nanoplatelets. Resultant materials exhibit a high crystallinity and phase purity, as characterized by XRD, and platelet morphology, as revealed by SEM. Surface chemistry of as-made materials showed a mixture of metallic and oxide phases, as evidenced by XPS. Zeta-potential analysis exhibited a systematic change of isoelectric point as a function of the material composition. As-made materials were directly sintered into pellets by using spark plasma sintering process. TE performance of Bi2−xSbxTe3 pellets were studied, where the highest ZT values of 1.04 (at 440 K) for Bi2Te3 and 1.37 (at 523 K) for Sb2Te3 were obtained, as n- and p-type TE materials. The presented microwave-assisted synthesis method is energy effective, a truly scalable and reproducible method, paving the way for large scale production and implementation of towards large-area TE applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Thermoelectrics; Synthesis, Processing and Applications)
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14 pages, 3718 KiB  
Article
Modelling a Segmented Skutterudite-Based Thermoelectric Generator to Achieve Maximum Conversion Efficiency
by Aminu Yusuf and Sedat Ballikaya
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(1), 408; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app10010408 - 06 Jan 2020
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3795
Abstract
Thermoelectric generator (TEG) modules generally have a low conversion efficiency. Among the reasons for the lower conversion efficiency is thermoelectric (TE) material mismatch. Hence, it is imperative to carefully select the TE material and optimize the design before any mass-scale production of the [...] Read more.
Thermoelectric generator (TEG) modules generally have a low conversion efficiency. Among the reasons for the lower conversion efficiency is thermoelectric (TE) material mismatch. Hence, it is imperative to carefully select the TE material and optimize the design before any mass-scale production of the modules. Here, with the help of Comsol-Multiphysics (5.3) software, TE materials were carefully selected and the design was optimized to achieve a higher conversion efficiency. An initial module simulation (32 couples) of unsegmented skutterudite Ba0.1Yb0.2Fe0.1Co3.9Sb12 (n-type) and Ce0.5Yb0.5Fe3.25Co0.75Sb12 (p-type) TE materials was carried out. At the temperature gradient T∆ = 500 K, a maximum simulated conversion efficiency of 9.2% and a calculated efficiency of 10% were obtained. In optimization via segmentation, the selection of TE materials, considering compatibility factor (s) and ZT, was carefully done. On the cold side, Bi2Te3 (n-type) and Sb2Te3 (p-type) TE materials were added as part of the segmentation, and at the same temperature gradient, an open circuit voltage of 6.2 V matched a load output power of 45 W, and a maximum simulated conversion efficiency of 15.7% and a calculated efficiency of 17.2% were achieved. A significant increase in the output characteristics of the module shows that the segmentation is effective. The TEG shows promising output characteristics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Thermoelectrics; Synthesis, Processing and Applications)
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8 pages, 3330 KiB  
Article
A Thermopile Device with Subwavelength Structure by CMOS-MEMS Technology
by Chih-Hsiung Shen, Yun-Ying Yeh and Chi-Feng Chen
Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(23), 5118; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app9235118 - 26 Nov 2019
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2576
Abstract
Besides the application of the photonic crystal for the photodetector in the visible range, the infrared devices proposed with subwavelength structure are numerically and experimentally investigated thoroughly for infrared radiation sensing in this research. Several complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) compatible thermopiles with [...] Read more.
Besides the application of the photonic crystal for the photodetector in the visible range, the infrared devices proposed with subwavelength structure are numerically and experimentally investigated thoroughly for infrared radiation sensing in this research. Several complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) compatible thermopiles with subwavelength structure (SWS) are proposed and simulated by the FDTD method. The proposed thermopiles are fabricated by the 0.35 μm 2P4M CMOS-MEMS process in TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company). The measurement and simulation results show that the response of these devices with SWS is higher than for those without SWS. The trend of the measurement results is consistent with that of the simulation results. Obviously, the absorption efficiency of the CMOS compatible thermopile can be enhanced when the subwavelength structure exists. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Thermoelectrics; Synthesis, Processing and Applications)
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10 pages, 3037 KiB  
Article
Adjustment of Surface Morphologies of Subwavelength-Rippled Structures on Titanium Using Femtosecond Lasers: The Role of Incubation
by Yanping Yuan, Dongfang Li, Weina Han, Kai Zhao and Jimin Chen
Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(16), 3401; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app9163401 - 19 Aug 2019
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2480
Abstract
Laser-induced periodic surface structures have been extensively studied for various materials because of their promising applications. For these applications, uniform rippled structures with well-defined large areas are required. However, the efficient fabrication of uniform rippled structures is a challenge. Morphologies of rippled structures [...] Read more.
Laser-induced periodic surface structures have been extensively studied for various materials because of their promising applications. For these applications, uniform rippled structures with well-defined large areas are required. However, the efficient fabrication of uniform rippled structures is a challenge. Morphologies of rippled structures of multiple-shot-ablated regions considerably affect the processing efficiency of uniform rippled structures because incubation effects are crucial. In this study, the effects of a pulse number and irradiation modes on surface morphologies of rippled structures on the titanium surface are experimentally studied. The experimental results indicate the following: (1) Samples first irradiated using several shots and then using remaining shots by designing laser pulse irradiation modes exhibit improved surface morphologies, such as larger ablation areas and finer rippled structures. (2) When the pulse number in the first series is less than that in the second series, the rippled structures are characterized using larger areas and periods. (3) The ablated areas with rippled structures increase with the increasing number of pulses. (4) The periods of ripples reduce with the increasing number of pulses. Therefore, according to different requirements, uniform rippled structures can be efficiently fabricated and adjusted using the designed laser pulse modes and pulse number. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Thermoelectrics; Synthesis, Processing and Applications)
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Review

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20 pages, 4397 KiB  
Review
Solution-Based Synthesis and Processing of Metal Chalcogenides for Thermoelectric Applications
by Kwok Wei Shah, Su-Xi Wang, Yun Zheng and Jianwei Xu
Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(7), 1511; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app9071511 - 11 Apr 2019
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 6262
Abstract
Metal chalcogenide materials are current mainstream thermoelectric materials with high conversion efficiency. This review provides an overview of the scalable solution-based methods for controllable synthesis of various nanostructured and thin-film metal chalcogenides, as well as their properties for thermoelectric applications. Furthermore, the state-of-art [...] Read more.
Metal chalcogenide materials are current mainstream thermoelectric materials with high conversion efficiency. This review provides an overview of the scalable solution-based methods for controllable synthesis of various nanostructured and thin-film metal chalcogenides, as well as their properties for thermoelectric applications. Furthermore, the state-of-art ink-based processing method for fabrication of thermoelectric generators based on metal chalcogenides is briefly introduced. Finally, the perspective on this field with regard to material production and device development is also commented upon. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Thermoelectrics; Synthesis, Processing and Applications)
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22 pages, 6841 KiB  
Review
One-Dimensional Nanostructure Engineering of Conducting Polymers for Thermoelectric Applications
by Kwok Wei Shah, Su-Xi Wang, Debbie Xiang Yun Soo and Jianwei Xu
Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(7), 1422; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app9071422 - 04 Apr 2019
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 3600
Abstract
The past few decades have witnessed considerable progress of conducting polymer-based organic thermoelectric materials due to their significant advantages over the traditional inorganic materials. The nanostructure engineering and performance investigation of these conducting polymers for thermoelectric applications have received considerable interest but have [...] Read more.
The past few decades have witnessed considerable progress of conducting polymer-based organic thermoelectric materials due to their significant advantages over the traditional inorganic materials. The nanostructure engineering and performance investigation of these conducting polymers for thermoelectric applications have received considerable interest but have not been well documented. This review gives an outline of the synthesis of various one-dimensional (1D) structured conducting polymers as well as the strategies for hybridization with other nanomaterials or polymers. The thermoelectric performance enhancement of these materials in association with the unique morphologies and structures are discussed. Finally, perspectives and suggestions for the future research based on these interesting nanostructuring methodologies for improvement of thermoelectric materials are also presented. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Thermoelectrics; Synthesis, Processing and Applications)
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