Waste heat to be turned into electricity with thermoelectric material

Researchers from Japan have developed a new system using the mixed-semimetal molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2) to convert waste heat into electricity through thermoelectric conversion devices. These devices are promising for sustainable heat-to-energy conversion, particularly by recovering energy lost as waste heat—estimated at 20-50% of input energy in industries—thereby improving overall energy efficiency. MoSi2 was identified as an ideal transverse thermoelectric (TTE) material exhibiting axis-dependent conduction polarity (ADCP) without requiring a magnetic field, a property confirmed by both experimental measurements and first-principles calculations. The study, published in Communications Materials, highlights that MoSi2’s unique electronic band structure and mixed-dimensional Fermi surfaces enable its ADCP behavior in Seebeck and Hall coefficients, crucial for TTE generation. Unlike conventional thermoelectric devices that rely on longitudinal thermoelectric effects and require alternating layers of p- and n-type semiconductors—leading to increased electrical