ABSTRACT

Recent experimental and theoretical advances in the ›eld of thermoelectric (TE) materials research have resulted in the proven ability to achieve unprecedented TE properties via nanostructured approaches [1-6]. še potential to decouple interrelated materials properties is a key opportunity o¤ered by nanostructured approaches to TE materials development. While signi›cant progress has been made toward addressing the long-standing challenge of identifying higher performance TE materials, outlined in a number of recent reviews [7-13] including several chapters within this Handbook, the scienti›c understanding of and control over the synthesis, structure, and physical properties of nanostructured TE materials continues to be developed. New synthetic methods are required that allow access to material systems in which composition and nanostructure can be precisely controlled, such that the mechanisms for TE enhancement can be studied, understood, and applied. Toward this aim, we have developed an approach for preparing new classes of nanostructured intergrowth compounds and nanolaminates via self-assembly from elemental nanolaminate precursors. In this chapter, we describe the principles and implementation of the synthetic approach, review the unusual structural features of the intergrowths that are formed, and discuss the current understanding of the transport properties in some of these materials.