Center for Nanoscale Science & Technology , Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology
Thermoelectrics technology offers a unique and innovative path for renewable power generation through conversion of waste heat to electricity in both large and small scale energy settings. Recent advances in nanostructured thermoelectrics have led to sufficient improvements in materials efficiency to suggest that this technology has true potential for cost-effective implementation. The Energy Research Group in the NIST Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) is initiating a robust research effort to measure and characterize nanostructured thermoelectric materials. Research focuses on developing techniques that will lead to a better understanding of non-equilibrium charge and phonon dynamics in metal and semiconductor nanostructures. These techniques will enable the design and synthesis of materials with sufficient power factor enhancement and improved material conversion efficiency to create disruptive technologies for waste heat recovery and conversion. The multidisciplinary CNST offers significant opportunities for interactions with world-class scientists and engineers, along with state-of-the-art measurement laboratories and nanofabrication facilities.
Thermoelectrics; Energy conversion; Energy recovery; Electronic transport; Nanomaterials; Nanotechnology;