Implementing electrochemical phenomena in porous materials for the improvement of the conversion of heat into electricity

Abstract

This thesis seeks the direct conversion of heat into electricity more efficiently using porous materials and electrochemical concepts in thermoelectricity and thermo-electrochemical cells. The amount of heat that exists around us is enormous, and having efficient technologies that can convert it into electricity could help solve the current energy problem. The thesis demonstrates how by combining a nanostructured porous material (Sb:SnO2) with an electrolyte that contains a redox molecule, the power factor can be increased more than 3 times. Furthermore, said porous material can be used in thermo-electrochemical cells replacing platinum, obtaining similar performance at much lower cost. Finally, if the thermo-electrochemical cell that uses Sb:SnO2 is arranged in a flat architecture, it is possible to increase the voltage provided by the cell for each degree of temperature difference at its ends. All these results have contributed to the advancement of these two technologies.