Webinar on January 17, 2024, 4:00 pm UTC+1

Keynote: On the Origin of the Large Seebeck Effect of Complex Ionic Conductors

Thermoelectric materials are studied in view of applications for cooling, sensing, and harvesting of waste energy, with the Seebeck coefficient S as a main performance parameter. Very recently, ionic conductors were shown to attain values of S = 300 kB/e, whereas those of electronic systems, such as solid-state and organic semiconductors, hardly exceed 20 kB/e. Here we present recent findings on the underlying physical mechanisms, and briefly discuss possible consequences for laser-heated colloids in complex fluids.