Collaborative Research: Boron Carbide Nanowires - Structure and Transport Property Relations

非技术描述：热电是热能和电能之间的一种直接能量转换技术，可以对世界面临的许多与能源相关的问题产生重大影响。在过去的十年中，在创造更好的纳米结构材料以提高热电能量转换效率方面取得了重大进展。然而，到目前为止，大多数努力都集中在用于制冷的低温热电材料上。可以从废热中获取电能的高温纳米结构热电材料还没有得到那么多的关注。碳化硼是一类复杂的陶瓷材料，在热电领域具有广阔的应用前景。碳化硼纳米线对电荷和能量载流子的传输具有良好的限制作用，甚至可以比块状碳化硼具有更好的热电性能。在本项目中，正在构建不同直径、晶体结构和组成的碳化硼纳米线的基本结构-性能关系，这对于制造性能最好的用于高性能热电转换的碳化硼纳米线至关重要。该项目整合了研究和教育部分，以培养跨学科环境中的研究生，并通过展示纳米材料在能源技术中的重要性，将影响扩展到未被充分代表的少数民族和K-12学生。技术细节：该项目旨在构建碳化硼纳米线的结构-传输性能关系，碳化硼纳米线是一类有望用于高温热电发电的复杂陶瓷纳米线。其方法是将合理的材料合成、在单个纳米结构水平上的输运性质测量、被测样品的彻底结构表征和理论分析结合起来，以实现对电荷和能量输运的深入了解。碳化硼纳米线的结构-性能关系是设计和制备具有最佳热电性能的碳化硼纳米线的关键，对工业废热回收有重要影响。该项目涉及到一个迄今鲜有研究重点的领域，即具有利用余热潜力的纳米结构高温热电材料。该项目的成功实施可以深入了解碳化硼纳米线的输运性质，创造出一类高性能的热电纳米材料。该项目在跨学科的环境中培训学生，这为他们为当今的尖端多学科研究做好了准备。

NON-TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: Thermoelectrics, a direct energy conversion technology between thermal and electrical energy, could generate significant impact on many energy-related issues the world is facing. Over the past decade, significant progress has been made in creating better nanostructured materials to improve the efficiency of thermoelectric energy conversion. However, to date, most efforts have been focused on low temperature thermoelectric materials for refrigeration applications. High temperature nanostructured thermoelectric materials, which could harvest electricity from waste heat, have not received as much attention. Boron carbides, a class of complex ceramic materials, have been projected as promising candidates for thermoelectric applications. Boron carbide nanowires, with desirable confinement effects to the transport of charge and energy carriers, could have even better thermoelectric performance than bulk boron carbides. In this project, the fundamental structure-property relations for boron carbide nanowires of different diameters, crystalline structures, and compositions are being constructed, which is critical for manufacturing the best performance boron carbide nanowires for high performance thermoelectric energy conversion. The project has integrated research and education components to train graduate students in an interdisciplinary environment, and to extend the impact to underrepresented minorities and K-12 students through demonstration of the importance of nanomaterials in energy technology.TECHNICAL DETAILS: This project aims at constructing the structure-transport property relations of boron carbide nanowires, a class of complex ceramic nanowires that is promising for high temperature thermoelectric power generation. The approach is to integrate rational materials synthesis, transport property measurements at individual nanostructure level, thorough structure characterization of measured samples, and theoretical analysis to achieve in-depth understanding of charge and energy transport. The structure-property relation is critical to design and fabricate boron carbide nanowires with the best thermoelectric properties, which could generate significant impact on industrial waste heat recovery. The project tackles an area where little research has focused to date, namely, nanostructured high temperature thermoelectrics, that has the potential to make use of waste heat. Successful implementation of the project can lead to an in-depth understanding of transport properties of boron carbide nanowires, and create a class of high performance thermoelectric nanomaterials. The project trains students in an interdisciplinary environment, which prepare them well for today's cutting-edge multidisciplinary research.