(Phys.org)—The large amount of waste heat produced by power plants and automobile engines can be converted into electricity due to the thermoelectric effect,a physics effect that converts temperature differences into electrical energy. Now in a new study, researchers believe confirmed theoretical predictions that two-dimensional (2D) materials—those that are as lean as a single nanometer—exhibit a significantly higher thermoelectric effect than three-dimensional (3D) materials, or which are typically used for these applications.
Source: phys.org