High-performance n-type flexible inorganic thermoelectric aerogel for energy harvesting.

ABSTRACT: Despite their promise as lightweight, ultralow-thermal-conductivity thermoelectric (TE) materials, aerogels have been largely limited to p-type organic or carbon-based systems with modest zT < 0.1 at 300 kelvin. Here, we propose a stepwise synthesis strategy that yields the first inorganic aerogel exhibiting state-of-the-art n-type TE performance. Optimized aerogels with 95% porosity exhibit a high power factor of 34.8 microwatts per meter per square kelvin and an ultralow thermal conductivity of 0.061 microwatts per meter per kelvin, resulting in zT values of 0.17 at 300 kelvin and 0.24 at 383 kelvin. A vertical TE generator prototype with six TE-aerogel legs achieves a gravimetric output power of 76 microwatts per gram under a ΔT of ~60 kelvin. To address brittleness

SUBMITTER: Wang X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12787517 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature