url=http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/86/i02/8602notw7.html]Thermoelectric Materials[/url]
Silicon nanowires transform heat into electricity
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Thermoelectric materials convert temperature gradients into voltages and vice versa. If one end of such a material is hot and the other is cold, a voltage is generated, which can then be used to create electrical power.
For a material to have good thermoelectric properties, however, it must be a good electrical conductor and a poor thermal conductor. Because bulk silicon is good at conducting both electricity and heat, scientists had ruled it out as a possible thermoelectric material. Two teams have now independently discovered that by nanostructuring silicon, they can reduce its thermal conductivity, making the material promising for thermoelectric applications (Nature 2008, 451, 163 and 168).
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"It confirms a growing sense in the science community that proper nanostructuring of materials will yield very significant enhancements in thermoelectric performance," he says.
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The ability to convert heat directly into usable energy is significant. Imagine the possibilities relative to circuitry. Heat is the biggest obstacle with faster computing. Being able to rapidly dissipate this heat (and convert it back to electricity) would be a big step forward in processing speed.
Or electric automobiles, converting tire heat back into electricity. How about putting shingles on your roof that turn the ambient and solar heat into electricity to help power your home? Or combining photovoltaics and thermoelectrics in a single panel for a 1-2 punch?