Roles of interface engineering in performance optimization of skutterudite-based thermoelectric materials

Abstract

Interface engineering has prevailed in the thermoelectric field for decades, and related performance has achieved great progress. Therefore, an in-depth understanding of the impacts of the interface effect on the thermoelectric transport parameters is of vital importance. In this paper, taking skutterudite-based thermoelectric materials as typical examples, the formation mechanism and preparation process of various interface types, including 1D dislocations, 2D grain refinement, 3D nanocomposites, and micro-nanopores, are briefly summarized. In addition, we also systemically highlight recently striking achievements related to interfacial design to reveal the distinctive effect of each interface structure on the transport behavior of carriers and phonons. Finally, existing challenges in the thermoelectric performance optimization achieved by interface engineering are pointed out, and an outlook for further thermoelectric research is presented.