Nanostructured thermoelectric materials: Current researchand future challenge

The field of thermoelectrics has long been recognized as a potentially transformativepower generation technology and the field is now growing steadily due to their ability to convertheat directly into electricity and to develop cost-effective, pollution-free forms of energyconversion. Of various types of thermoelectric materials, nanostructured materials have shownthe most promise for commercial use because of their extraordinary thermoelectric performances.This article aims to summarize the present progress of nanostructured thermoelectrics and intendsto understand and explain the underpinnings of the innovative breakthroughs in the last decade orso. We believed that recent achievements will augur the possibility for thermoelectric powergeneration and cooling, and discuss several future directions which could lead to new exciting nextgeneration of nanostructured thermoelectrics.