Pseudo-nanostructure and trapped-hole release induce high thermoelectric performance in PbTe. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38574137/)

These scientists wanted to find a way to make materials that can turn heat into electricity and vice versa work even better. They found it difficult because the way electricity and heat move through these materials is closely connected.

To solve this problem, the scientists created tiny structures inside the material called vacancy clusters and also controlled how electric charges move around. By doing this, they were able to control how both heat and electricity move through the material at the same time.

They tested their new material and found that it could turn heat into electricity very efficiently. They were able to reach a very high value called zT, which tells us how well the material can do this job. They also made a device that could convert energy with high efficiency at a certain temperature difference.

This study shows that their new material could be used in many different ways to turn heat into electricity, which could be very useful in many applications.

Jia B., Wu D., Xie L., Wang W., Yu T., Li S., Wang Y., Xu Y., Jiang B., Chen Z., Weng Y., He J. Pseudo-nanostructure and trapped-hole release induce high thermoelectric performance in PbTe. Science. 2024 Apr 5;384(6691):81-86. doi: 10.1126/science.adj8175. Epub 2024 Apr 4.