Chalcogenide glass for thermoelectric application

Thermoelectric materials capable of direct conversion between electricity and heat provide a broad prospect for power generation and refrigeration. As a family of potential thermoelectric materials, semiconducting chalcogenide glasses exhibit unique characteristics of easy to draw fiber, high Seebeck coefficient, low thermal conductivity and tunable electrical conductivity, endowing them with promising applications in wearable electronics. In this review, we summarize the recent advance on semiconducting chalcogenide glass for thermoelectric application. The design and fabrication method of semiconducting chalcogenide glasses are presented. The strategies for improving the thermoelectric performance of chalcogenide glasses are reported. Besides, the extensive applications of chalcogenide fibers in the fields of thermal sensing and positioning are overviewed. In the end, the challenges and perspectives for the future development of semiconducting chalcogenide glasses and fibers are discussed.