Innovative Thermoelectric Materials: Polymer, Nanostructure And Composite Thermoelectrics

Book excerpt: Power generation from environmentally friendly sources has led to surging interest in thermoelectrics. There has been a move toward alternative thermoelectric materials with enhanced performance through materials and structures that utilize common and safer elements and alternative mechanistic approaches while increasing processing latitude and decreasing cost. This wide-ranging volume examines this progress and future prospects with the new technologies, ease of processing and cost as major considerations, and will benefit active researchers, students and others interested in cutting-edge work in thermoelectric materials. Innovative Thermoelectric Materials incorporates the contributions of a group of recognized experts in thermoelectric materials, many of whom were the first to introduce various materials systems into thermoelectric systems. The perspectives brought to this evolving subject will provide important insights on which those developing the field can build, and will inspire new research directions for the future.