Measuring methods for thermoelectric properties of one-dimensional nanostructural materials

Abstract

Thermoelectric materials and devices have attracted extensive research interests. Great progress has been obtained in improving the thermoelectric figure of merit ZT of several one-dimensional (1D) nanostructural materials. Simultaneously, tremendous efforts have been devoted to characterize thermoelectric performance of nanostructural materials and associated devices. Accurate measurements of the Seebeck coefficient and thermal conductivity of 1D nanostructural materials are still challenging tasks. This review explores the latest research results on measuring methods for thermoelectric properties of 1D nanostructural materials. Five frequently used methods to measure the Seebeck coefficient are presented and twelve popular methods to measure thermal conductivity are described. Device structures, measuring principles, merits and shortcomings, and application examples of each method are discussed in detail. Two potential hot topics in measuring thermoelectric properties of 1D nanostructural materials are proposed.