Thermoelectrics in thin films with van der Waals interfaces

Abstract

Huge amount of low-temperature waste heat emitted from various shaped objects is left unused. For efficient conversion of such waste heat to electricity, flexible thermoelectrics attracts a lot of attention. A lot of van der Waals interfaces are present in flexible materials, and the basic understanding on how the van der Waals interfaces affect the thermoelectric properties is crucial for the enhancement of their thermoelectric performance. Here we present the short summary of our systematical studies on the thermoelectric properties of single walled carbon nanotubes as one of models for thermoelectrics with van der Waals interfaces, and discuss future potential and perspective.