Thermoelectric materials are substances that can directly convert temperature differences into electrical voltage and vice versa, leveraging the principles of thermoelectric effects such as the Seebeck effect and Peltier effect. These materials are characterized by their ability to exhibit a high thermoelectric efficiency, often quantified by a dimensionless figure of merit , where . Here, is the Seebeck coefficient, is the electrical conductivity, is the absolute temperature, and is the thermal conductivity. Applications of thermoelectric materials include power generation from waste heat and temperature control in electronic devices. The development of new thermoelectric materials, especially those that are cost-effective and environmentally friendly, is an active area of research, aiming to improve energy efficiency in various industries.
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