Quantum and Phonon Interference-Enhanced Molecular-Scale Thermoelectricity.

ABSTRACT: Simultaneous engineering of electron and phonon transport through nanoscale molecular junctions is fundamental to the development of high-performance thermoelectric materials for the conversion of waste heat into electricity and cooling. Here, we demonstrate a systematic improvement of the room-temperature thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) of molecular junctions. This is achieved by phonon interference (PI)-suppressed thermal conductance and quantum interference-enhanced electrical conductance and Seebeck coefficient. This strategy leads to a significant enhancement of ZT from low values ca. 10^-6 in oligo(phenylene-ethynylene) (OPE2) to the record values of 2.4 in dinitro-functionalized OPE2 (DOPE2). The dinitro functionalization also considerably enhances ZT<

SUBMITTER: Sadeghi H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7011773 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature