Running Head: Thermoelectrics 1

RUNNING HEAD: THERMOELECTRICS 1
Hahnbee Lee
January 25, 2018
Thermoelectrics
Objective: To finalize research components and order electroplating chemicals.

THERMOELECTRICS 2
Materials and Methods
The past two weeks I have successfully conducted test runs on the Peltier tiles. I
plan do research on what two pairings of metals will make a good test thermocouple and
electrodepositing vanadium oxide.
Electrodeposition of Vanadium Oxides at Room Temperature as Cathodes in Lithium-Ion
Batteries
A three-electrode electrochemical cell made up of platinum, Ag/AgCl, and SnO2 in
1*1*0.3 cm dimensions will be utilized for the deposition of V2O5 coatings. An electrolyte
solution of VO(acac)3 in CH3OH will also be needed for the electrodeposition. Prior to the
electrodeposition, the SnO2 glass substrates will be cleaned with 1-propanol, acetone, deionized
H2O and dried with N2. The vanadium dioxide will be electrodeposited onto a copper wire at
room temperature using deposition current densities and electrolyte concentrations.
This process will be used because it is much less complex than techniques for other
redox-dependent applications.
Ordering the chemicals for the electrodeposition along with performing the
electrodeposition is the next step.

THERMOELECTRICS 3
Seebeck and Peltier Effects
After the wire is electrodeposited I will be conducting an experiment by creating multiple
different thermocouples that are frequently used as thermoelectric materials.
Figure 1 The circuits will be set up in this apparatus.
Due to the Seebeck effect electrons will be diffused when a temperature difference is
applied, therefore using the apparatus (Figure 1) I will determine how efficient the thermocouple
is and comparing them to see if the vanadium dioxide is more efficient than the rest.
To assure that other factors are not taking too large of an effect on the thermocouple, the
Peltier effect will also be tested by running a current through the thermocouples and measuring
the efficiency also.

THERMOELECTRICS 4
Data and Results
The Seebeck coefficient of a material is a measure of the magnitude of an induced
thermoelectric voltage in response to a temperature difference across that material. The SI unit of
the Seebeck coefficient is volts per kelvin (V/K), but commonly used in microvolts per kelvin
(μV/K).
A high Seebeck coefficient shows efficiency in of thermoelectric generators and coolers.
The Seebeck effect can be used to measure temperatures in thermocouples.
Physically, the magnitude and sign of the Seebeck coefficient can be understood as
the entropy per unit charge carried by electrical currents in the material. It may be positive or
negative; the Seebeck coefficient is negative for negatively charged carriers (such as electrons),
and positive for positively charged carriers (such as electron holes).

THERMOELECTRICS 5
References
Casten, S. (2009, September 12). How much energy does the U.S. waste? Retrieved October 17,
2017, from http://grist.org/article/2009-09-11-how-much-energy-does-the-us-waste/
Garnero, E.J., Mcnamara, A.K., & Shim. S. (2016). Continent-sized anomalous zones with low
seismic velocity at the base of Earth’s mantle. Nature Geoscience, 9(7), 481-489.
Doi:10.1038/ngeo2733
Iafolla, V., Nozzoli, S., & Fiorenza, E. (2003). One axis gravity gradiometer for the
measurement of Newtons gravitational constant G. Physics Letters A, 318(3), 223-233.
doi:10.1016/j.physleta.2003.07.014
L. (2013, December 17). I. P-Type, N-Type Semiconductors. Retrieved November 09, 2017,
from https://photon.libretexts.org/The_Science_of_Solar/Solar_Basics/D._P-
N_Junction_Diodes/I._P-Type%2C_N-Type_Semiconductors
Lee, S., Hippalgaonkar, K., Yang, F., Hong, J., Ko, C., Suh, J., . . . Wu, J. (2017). Anomalously
low electronic thermal conductivity in metallic vanadium dioxide. Science,355(6323),
371-374. doi:10.1126/science.aag0410
Liu, H., & Pike, W. T. (2016). A micromachined angular-acceleration sensor for geophysical
applications. Applied Physics Letters,109(17), 173506. doi:10.1063/1.4966547
Yang, S. (2017, January 26). For This Metal, Electricity Flows, But Not the Heat | Berkeley Lab.
Retrieved October 26, 2017, from http://newscenter.lbl.gov/2017/01/26/electricity-not-
heat-flows-in-vanadium-dioxide/

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RUNNING HEAD: THERMOELECTRICS 1

January 25, 2018

Objective: To finalize research components and order electroplating chemicals.

Materials and Methods

electrodepositing vanadium oxide.

Electrodeposition of Vanadium Oxides at Room Temperature as Cathodes in Lithium-Ion

A three-electrode electrochemical cell made up of platinum, Ag/AgCl, and SnO2 in

room temperature using deposition current densities and electrolyte concentrations.

electrodeposition is the next step.

Seebeck and Peltier Effects

After the wire is electrodeposited I will be conducting an experiment by creating multiple

different thermocouples that are frequently used as thermoelectric materials.

Figure 1 The circuits will be set up in this apparatus.

the efficiency also.

Data and Results

The Seebeck coefficient of a material is a measure of the magnitude of an induced

A high Seebeck coefficient shows efficiency in of thermoelectric generators and coolers.

The Seebeck effect can be used to measure temperatures in thermocouples.

and positive for positively charged carriers (such as electron holes).

2017, from http://grist.org/article/2009-09-11-how-much-energy-does-the-us-waste/

measurement of Newtons gravitational constant G. Physics Letters A, 318(3), 223-233.

low electronic thermal conductivity in metallic vanadium dioxide. Science,355(6323),

applications. Applied Physics Letters,109(17), 173506. doi:10.1063/1.4966547

Retrieved October 26, 2017, from http://newscenter.lbl.gov/2017/01/26/electricity-not-

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