Thermoelectric materials directly convert thermal energy into electrical energy, offering a promising solid-state solution for waste
heat recovery. For thermoelectric devices to make a significant impact
on energy and the environment the major impediments are the efficiency,
availability and toxicity of current thermoelectric materials.
Typically, efficient thermoelectric materials contain heavy elements
such as lead and tellurium that are toxic and not earth abundant. Many
materials with unusual structures containing abundant and benign
elements are known, but remain unexplored for thermoelectric
applications. In this paper we demonstrate, with the discovery of high
thermoelectric efficiency in Ca_3AlSb_3, the use of elementary
solid-state chemistry and physics to guide the search and optimization
of such materials
