High Efficiency, Easy-to-Manufacture Engineered Nanomaterials for Thermoelectric Applications, Phase I

In this Phase I SBIR program, high thermoelectric figure-of-merit (ZT) nanocrystal quantum dot (NQD) thermoelectric (TE) materials will be developed that have thermal efficiency properties far better than traditional bulk thermoelectric materials. The proposed TE materials improve performance by increasing electrical conductivity while reducing thermal conductivity. In the proposed work, TE devices will be fabricated from solidified quantum dot films that are formed from colloidally synthesized NQDs using consolidation and second phase precipitation. The overall goal of the program is to develop an advanced thermoelectric nanomaterial that will offer significant cost, flexibility, and performance benefits for NASA applications. More »