Discovery of Novel Thermoelectric Zintl Materials

This project is aimed at discovering new intermetallic thermoelectric compounds based on Zintl phases. Thermoelectric materials are materials that can convert thermal energy directly into electrical energy via the Seebeck effect, which utilizes a thermal gradient to generate an electric current. Thermoelectric materials are potentially useful in terms of green energy, as they can harness waste heat and therefore make other energy sources and electronic devices more efficient; however, the efficiency of materials needs to be improved before they can be realistically applied to any technology. The discovery of new thermoelectric materials is necessary in order to find more efficient materials. Zintl phases, characterized by wide electronegativity differences that lead to ionic interactions within the crystal, have been shown to have high thermoelectric figure of merits, making them promising candidates in the search for novel thermoelectric materials. Crystals are grown using the flux method in high-temperature furnaces.