Abstract
Porous hybrid materials and MOF (Metal–Organic-Framework) films represent modern designer materials that exhibit many requirements of a near ideal and tunable future thermoelectric (TE) material. In contrast to traditional semiconducting bulk TE materials, porous hybrid MOF templates can be used to overcome some of the constraints of physics in bulk TE materials. These porous hybrid systems are amenable for simulation and modeling to design novel optimized electron-crystal phonon-glass materials with potentially very high ZT (figure of merit) numbers. Porous MOF and hybrid materials possess an ultra-low thermal conductivity, which can be further modulated by phonon engineering within their complex porous and hierarchical architecture to advance the TE figure of merit (ZT). This Perspective review discusses recent results of MOF TE materials and provides a future outlook and the vision to the search for the next generation TE porous hybrid and MOF materials, which could be part of the green renewable energy revolution with novel materials of sustainably high ZT values.
Highlights
To move forward and to tap this mostly unused resource, i.e., waste heat recovery, much more efficient thermoelectric materials with a ZT larger than 3 are required, which can efficiently convert waste heat into green and renewable electricity. Tackling this challenging problem could provide a path to green energy revolution and could provide advanced materials and devices, which can change our energy system and make significant contributions to lessen the reliance on fossil fuels
The history of thermoelectrics (TEs) began in 1822, when German physicist Thomas Johann Seebeck discovered the effect, when he experimentally found that a compass needle was deflected by a closed loop connecting two dissimilar metal junctions, which were scitation.org/journal/apm exposed to a temperature difference
The Thomson heat QThomson is proportional to both the electric current I and the temperature gradient ΔT according to the relation QThomson = −τ I ΔT, where the proportionality factor τ is known as the Thomson coefficient
Summary
ARTICLES YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN Charge transport in metal–organic frameworks for electronics applications APL Materials 8, 050901 (2020); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5143590 P-block metal-based (Sn, In, Bi, Pb) electrocatalysts for selective reduction of CO2 to formate APL Materials 8, 060901 (2020); https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0004194 Ionic thermoelectric materials for near ambient temperature energy harvesting Applied Physics Letters 118, 020501 (2021); https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0032119
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
