Episode 11: Introduction of hydrogen produces eco-friendly thermoelectric oxides

MRS Bulletin Materials News Podcast · Aug 14, 2023 · 3m

Many industrial processes require heat or create it as a by-product. Now, Takayoshi Katase from the Tokyo Institute of Technology has found a way to harness this heat in an eco-friendly way, as he explains in an interview with MRS Bulletin podcaster Laura Leay. One way to harness this heat is to use thermoelectric devices to produce electricity via the Seebeck effect. Conventional thermoelectric materials, however, are composed of heavy metals such as lead and tellurium, which are toxic. To incorporate hydrogen into the structure, and so replace the toxic elements, Katase’s research team used…