Thermoelectric technology enables the direct conversion between heat and electricity, offering unique advantages for applications such as waste heat recovery, solid-state cooling, wearable electronics, and thermal management. Improving the energy conversion efficiency of thermoelectric devices (TEDs) requires advancements in both material composition and structure, as well as innovations in device design. This article first provides an overview of the basic principles of thermoelectric conversion, and then summarizes the major developments in thermoelectric materials and TED architectures over the past five years.It covers the latest developments in thermoelectric mechanisms, high-performance materials, and strategies for optimizing bulk, film, and fiber-based polymer materials. This review also examines methods for evaluating TED performance, explores new design paradigms supported by computer-aided manufacturing, and highlights advances in solid-state, miniaturized, and flexible TED (F-TED). Representative design strategies and application scenarios are presented. Finally, the current challenges and future directions of thermoelectric materials and devices are discussed to guide ongoing innovation in the field.

Original link

Toward Efficient Thermoelectric Materials and Devices: Advances, Challenges, and Opportunities

Pub Date : 2025-07-30

DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.5c00060

Xiao-Lei Shi,Nan-Hai Li,Meng Li,Zhi-Gang Chen