Homogeneous thermoelectric nanocomposite using core-shell nanoparticles

US8044292B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC. · US
• The Administrators of the Tulane Educational Fund · US

Inventors

• Qiangfeng Xiao · New Orleans, US
• Yunfeng Lu · Los Angeles, US
• Junwei Wang · Beijing, CN
• Minjuan Zhang · Ann Arbor, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 13, 2006
• Grant date: Oct 25, 2011
• Expiry date: Oct 16, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10N10/852

Abstract

A thermoelectric material comprises core-shell particles having a core formed from a core material and a shell formed from a shell material. In representative examples, the shell material is a material showing an appreciable thermoelectric effect in bulk. The core material preferably has a lower thermal conductivity than the shell material. In representative examples, the core material is an inorganic oxide such as silica or alumina, and the shell material is a chalcogenide semiconductor such as a telluride, for example bismuth telluride. A thermoelectric material including such core-shell particles may have an improved thermoelectric figure of merit compared with a bulk sample of the shell material alone. Embodiments of the invention further include thermoelectric devices using such thermoelectric materials, and preparation techniques. The use of core-shell nanoparticles allows highly uniform nanocomposites to be formed, and embodiments of the invention also includes other materials and devices using core-shell particles.