Abstract
Over a decade ago, Dresselhaus predicted that low-dimensional systems would one day serve as a route to enhanced thermoelectric performance.In this article, recent results in the thermoelectric properties of nanowires and nanotubes are discussed. Various synthesis techniques will be presented, including chemical vapor deposition for the growth of thermoelectric nanostructures in templated alumina.Electrical transport measurements of carbon nanostructures, such as resistivity and thermopower, have revealed some very interesting thermoelectric properties.Challenges still remain concerning the measurement of individual nanostructures such as nanowires. Much work has been performed on the thermoelectric properties of carbon nanotubes, and these results will be highlighted.In addition, routes for enhanced thermoelectric materials have focused on incorporating nanostructures within the bulk materials.The role of these “hybrid composite structures” based on nanomaterials incorporated into the bulk matrix and the potential for enhanced performance are discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
S. Iijima, Nature 354 (1991) p. 56.
M. Dresselhaus, G. Dresselhaus, and Ph. Avouris, eds., Carbon Nanotubes: Synthesis, Structure, Properties, and Applications (Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 2001).
M. Meyyappan, ed., Carbon Nanotubes: Science and Applications (CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2005).
P.G. Collins, K. Bradley, M. Ishigami, and A. Zettl, Science 287 (2000) p. 1801.
K. Bradley, S.-H. Jhi, P.G. Collins, J. Hone, M.L. Cohen, S.G. Louie, and A. Zettl, Phys. Rev. Lett. 85 (20) (2000) p. 4361.
G.U. Sumanasekera, C.K.W. Adu, S. Fang, and P.C. Eklund, Phys. Rev. Lett. 85 (5) (2000) p. 1096.
T. Savage, B. Sadanadan, J. Gaillard, T.M. Tritt, Y.-P. Sun, Y. Wu, S. Nayak, R. Car, N. Marzari, P.M. Ajayan, and A.M. Rao, J. Cond. Matter. 15 (2003) p. 1915; M. Grujicic, S. Nayak, T. Tritt, and A.M. Rao, Appl. Surf. Sci. 214 (2003) p. 289.
K. McGuire, N. Gothard, P.L. Gai, M.S. Dresselhaus, G. Sumanasekera, and A.M. Rao, Carbon 43 (2005) p. 219.
H.E. Romero, K. Bolton, A. Rosen, and P.C. Eklund, Science 307 (2005) p. 89.
F.J. Blatt, P.A. Schroeder, C.L. Foiles, and D. Greig, Thermoelectric Power of Metals (Plenum Press, New York, 1976).
P. Avouris, Acc. Chem. Res. 35 (2002) p. 1026.
V.W. Scarola and G.D. Mahan, Phys. Rev. B 66 205405 (2002).
J. Vavro, M.C. Llaguno, J.E. Fischer, S. Ramesh, R.K. Saini, L.M. Ericson, V.A. Davis, R.H. Hauge, M. Pasquali, and R.E. Smalley, Phys. Rev. Lett. 90 065503 (2003).
H.E. Romero, G.U. Sumanasekera, S. Kishore, and P.C. Eklund, J. Phys. Condens. Matter 16 (2004) p. 1939.
G.U. Sumanasekera, B.K. Pradhan, H.E. Romero, K.W. Adu, and P.C. Eklund, Phys. Rev. Lett. 89 166801 (2002).
B. Sadanadan, T. Savage, J. Gaillard, S. Bhattacharya, T. Tritt, A. Cassell, Z. Pan, Z.L. Wang, and A.M. Rao, J. Nanosci. Nanotech. (Special Issue) 3 (2003) p. 99.
J.P. Small, L. Shi, and P. Kim, Phys. Rev. Lett. 91 256801 (2003).
J. Vavro, M.C. Llaguno, B.C. Satishkumar, D.E. Luzzi, and J.E. Fischer, Appl. Phys. Lett. 80 (8) (2002) p. 1450.
L. Grigorian, G.U. Sumanasekera, A.L. Loper, S.L. Fang, J.L. Allen, and P.C. Eklund, Phys. Rev. B 60 (1999) p. R11309.
M. Remskar, A. Mrzel, Z. Skraba, A. Jesih, M. Ceh, J. Demsar, P. Stadelmann, F. Levy, and D. Mihailovic, Science 292 (2001) p. 479 and references therein.
J. Chen, S.-L. Li, F. Gao, and Z.-L. Tao, Chem. Mater. 15 (2003) p. 1012.
J. Chen, S.-L. Li, Z.-L. Tao, and F. Gao, Chem. Commun. (2003) p. 980.
L.D. Hicks and M.S. Dresselhaus, Phys. Rev. B 47 (1993) p. 12727.
H. Imai, Y. Shimakawa, and Y. Kubo, Phys. Rev. B 64 241104-R (2001) and references therein.
P. Magri, C. Boulanger, J.M. Lecuire, J. Mater. Chem. 6 (1996) p. 773.
J.P. Fleurial, A. Borschevsky, M.A. Ryan, W. Phillips, E. Kolawa, T. Kacisch, and R. Ewell, in Proc. 16th ICT (IEEE, Piscataway, NJ, 1997) p. 641.
M. Martin-Gonzalez, G.J. Snyder, A.L. Prieto, R. Gronsky, T. Sands, and A.M. Stacy, Nano Lett. 3 (2003) p. 973 and references therein.
M.S. Sander, A.L. Prieto, R. Gronsky, T. Sands, and A.M. Stacy, Adv. Mater. 14 (2002) p. 665.
X.H. Ji, X.B. Zhao, Y.H. Zhang, T. Sun, H.L. Ni, and B.H. Lu, in Proc. 23rd ICT (IEEE, Piscataway, NJ, 2004).
X.B. Zhao, X.H. Ji, Y.H. Zhang, T.J. Zhu, J.P. Tu, and X.B. Zhang, Appl. Phys. Lett. 86 062111 (2005).
X.H. Ji, X.B. Zhao, Y.H. Zhang, B.H. Lu, and H.L. Ni, J. Alloys Compd. 387 (2005) p. 282.
X.H. Ji, “Syntheses and Properties of Nanostructured Bi2Te 3-Based Thermoelectric Materials,” PhD dissertation, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China (2005).
X.B. Zhao, X.H. Ji, Y.H. Zhang, and B.H. Lu, J. Alloys Compd. 368 (1–2) (2004) p. 349.
X.H. Ji, X. Zhao, Y. Zhang, B.H. Lu, and H. Ni, in Thermoelectric Materials 2003—Research and Applications, edited by G.S. Nolas, J. Yang, T.P. Hogan, and D.C. Johnson (Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 793, Warrendale, PA, 2004) p. 21.
X.B Zhao, T. Sun, T.J. Zhu, and J.P. Tu, J. Mater. Chem. 15 (2005) p. 1621.
Y.Y. Zheng, T.J. Zhu, X.B. Zhao, J.P. Tu, and G.S. Cao, Mater. Lett. 59 (2005) p. 2886.
X.H. Ji, X.B. Zhao, Y.H. Zhang, B.H. Lu, and H.L. Ni, J. Alloys Compd. 387 (2005) p. 282; X.H. Ji, X.B. Zhao, Y.H. Zhang, B.H. Lu, and H.L. Ni, Mater. Lett. 59 (2005) p. 682; X.B. Zhao, Y.H. Zhang, and X.H. Ji, Inorg. Chem. Commun. 7 (2004) p. 386.
X.B. Zhao, X.H. Ji, Y.H. Zhang, G.S. Cao, and J.P. Tu, Appl. Phys. A 80 (2005) p. 1567.
A. Sashchiuk, L. Amirav, M. Bashouti, M. Krueger, U. Sivan, and E. Lifshitz, Nano Lett. 4 (2004) p. 159.
J. Xie, X.-B. Zhao, J.-L. Mi, G.-S. Cao, and J.-P. Tu, J. Zhejiang Univ., Sci. (JZUS), Lett. 5 (2005) p. 1504.
J. Xie, X.B. Zhao, G.S. Cao, M.J. Zhao, and S.F. Su, J. Power Sources 140 (2005) p. 350.
B. Zhang, J. He, and T.M. Tritt, Appl. Phys. Lett. 88 043119 (2006).
T.M. Tritt, Science 283 (1999) p. 804.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rao, A.M., Ji, X. & Tritt, T.M. Properties of Nanostructured One-Dimensional and Composite Thermoelectric Materials. MRS Bulletin 31, 218–223 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1557/mrs2006.48
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/mrs2006.48