Metal oxide-based thermoelectric materials
Abstract Thermoelectric materials, which can be applied in highly efficient cooling and refrigeration, energy scavenging, sensing, and thermopower systems, can make significant contributions to solve the global energy crisis by providing a sustainable energy solution. Metal oxides have become important thermoelectric materials due to their high-temperature stability, tunable electronic and phonon transport properties, and well-established synthesis techniques. In this chapter, NaxCoO2, Ca3Co4O9, SrTiO3, CaMnO3, and ZnO are reviewed as promising metal oxide-based thermoelectric materials. The crystal structures, synthesis techniques, and thermoelectric properties such as power conversion efficiency, figure of merit, Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity, and thermal conductivity are analyzed and reviewed.