More efficient energy use could result from a direct experimental observation of atomic behavior inside nanoscale cages
Friday, October 12, 2012 - 07:30
in Physics & Chemistry
Thermoelectric generators can make better use of the excess heat generated by machines by converting temperature differences directly back into electricity. Now, Masaki Takata from the RIKEN SPring-8 Center, Harima, working in collaboration with colleagues at institutions across Japan, have shown how the thermoelectric properties of a class of materials known as clathrates are enhanced by their unusual atomic structure, thus demonstrating a potential route to more efficient energy usage.