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

非技术描述：热电技术是一种热能和电能之间的直接能量转换技术，可以对世界面临的许多能源相关问题产生重大影响。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制冷应用的低温热电材料上。高温纳米结构的热电材料可以从废热中收集电力，但却没有受到如此多的关注。碳化硼是一类复杂的陶瓷材料，被认为是热电应用的有前途的候选者。碳化硼纳米线对电荷和能量载流子的传输具有理想的约束效应，可以比块状碳化硼具有更好的热电性能。在本项目中，构建了不同直径、晶体结构和成分的碳化硼纳米线的基本结构-性能关系，这对于制造高性能热电能量转换用的最佳性能碳化硼纳米线至关重要。该项目整合了研究和教育内容，在跨学科环境中培养研究生，并通过展示纳米材料在能源技术中的重要性，将影响扩大到代表性不足的少数民族和K-12学生。技术细节：本项目旨在构建碳化硼纳米线的结构-输运性质关系，碳化硼纳米线是一类具有高温热电发电前景的复杂陶瓷纳米线。该方法将合理的材料合成、单个纳米结构的输运特性测量、被测样品的全面结构表征和理论分析相结合，以实现对电荷和能量输运的深入理解。结构-性能关系是设计和制造具有最佳热电性能的碳化硼纳米线的关键，对工业废热回收具有重要意义。该项目解决了一个迄今为止很少有研究关注的领域，即纳米结构的高温热电，它有利用废热的潜力。该项目的成功实施将有助于深入了解碳化硼纳米线的输运特性，并创造一类高性能热电纳米材料。该项目在跨学科的环境中培养学生，为当今前沿的多学科研究做好准备。

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.