Nano-engineering XXI Century Thermoelectric Materials and Latest Developments in Nanoporous  Alumina Templates: From Swords to Butterflies

This talk is divided into two parts.   The first part will focus on a simple, efficient, and high-throughput methodology for nano- engineering polymers and inorganic materials surface with areas in the range of cm2. The surfaces are similar to the porous alumina surface but made of other materials like poly(vinyl alcohol) –PVA- or Si3N4. The second part of the talk will address the advances that we have reached in the last years regarding nanostructured thermoelectric materials. Thermoelectric materials have been a focus of research for centuries, because thermoelectric effects allow direct conversion between thermal and electrical energy, therefore providing an alternative for power generation and refrigeration. Some new results such the fabrication of ultra-small nanowire arrays (15 nm) of thermoelectric materials such as P3HT or Bi2Te3 or to the generation of a three-dimensional network of nanowires will be discussed.