Executive Summary : | Thermoelectrochemical cell/ thermocell/ thermogalvanic cell has the potential to convert the waste heat energy into electricity and considering the present renewable energy demands these cells can prove as an effective source of renewable electricity. So far, the thermogalvanic cells are being given a very less attention due to their poor power conversion efficiency (PCE). The factors that are researched towards increasing the PCE of thermocell include, electrolyte concentration, type of electrolyte having high Seebeck coefficient and interface at electrode/electrolyte interface. The present need of the research in thermogalvanic cell is investigating the thermal and electrical properties of the electrode materials used in these thermocells. In this regard, the studies were performed on the three main electrode materials namely, platinum electrodes, carbon based CNT, graphite, C60 electrodes and polymer electrodes. Thus, this proposal aims at investigating the properties of chalcogenide perovskite, BaZrS3 as the first semiconductor electrode material to be used for thermogalvanic cells. The startup lab in this research will experimentally investigate for the first time the thermal and electrical properties of this material which were previously theoretically reported to be promising for thermoelectric devices. In addition, the project aims at tuning the thermal and electrical conductivity of this material by compositional tailoring and surface modification. The effect of the tuned and pristine thermoelectric properties of BaZrS3 will be studied by fabricating a thermogalvanic cell and using the synthesized samples as electrodes for the thermocell. BaZrS3 is now emerging as an interesting semiconductor for photovoltaics and few theoretical studies are recently performed to investigate their use in thermoelectrics. Thus, researching this material and studying its thermal and electrical conductivity in depth will give an insight on its further applications even outside the thermoelectrics arena. Therefore, this project will pave a way in reestablishing the field of thermogalvanic cells which has been underrated for their poor efficiency so far. |