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Chinchu Y. M.,
T. R. Beena,
- Research Scholar, Department of Physics, Scott Christian College (Autonomous), Affiliated to Manonmanium Sundaranar University Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, India
- Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, Scott Christian College (Autonomous), Affiliated to Manonmanium Sundaranar University Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, India
Abstract
Advanced thermoelectric materials that can be used efficiently for energy conversion have received significant research interest for the last decade because of the mounting demand for sustainable and eco-friendly energy technologies. The main advantage of thermoelectric materials is their capability to directly convert the waste heat into electrical energy which makes them highly promising for the recovery of waste heat from industrial processes, automotive systems and power generation applications. Oxide-based thermoelectric materials are interesting due to their high abundance, low cost, low mass density, excellent chemical and thermal stability, non-toxicity, and capability to work at higher temperatures in oxidizing conditions, among the different classes of thermoelectric materials. Although they are useful, high thermoelectric efficiency is still hard to attain because of the interdependence of electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient and thermal conductivity. This review gives a thorough overview of the basic properties of oxide-based thermoelectric materials and the methods used to optimize these transport properties to improve the thermoelectric properties. Different synthesis and fabrication methods such as solid-state reaction, sol-gel, polymer solution, pressure-less sintering and spark plasma sintering are discussed and their effects on the material properties are explored. The developments of the systems that have been extensively studied, such as Ca₃Co₄O₉, SrTiO₃ and CaMnO₃, over the last years are also summarized, including the effect of element doping and microstructural engineering. In addition, the review identifies the recent progress, current challenges and future research trends to enhance the figure of merit (ZT) and further extend the application of thermoelectric oxide materials to efficient and sustainable energy harvesting.
Keywords: Thermoelectric, Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity, Powerfactor, Thermal conductivity
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International Journal of Energy and Thermal Applications
| Volume | 04 | |
| 02 | ||
| Received | 05/06/2026 | |
| Accepted | 03/08/2026 | |
| Published | 28/08/2026 | |
| Publication Time | 84 Days |