Thermoelectricity, a materials’ capability to convert heat in to electric energy has been known to exist in liquids for many decades. Unlike in solids, this conversion process liquids take several forms including the thermogalvanic reactions between the redox ions and the electrodes, the thermodiffusion of charged species and the temperature dependent formation of electrical double layer at the electrodes. The observed values of Seebeck coefficient (Se = - DV/DT, the ratio between the induced voltage (DV) and the applied temperature difference (DT)) are generally above 1 mV/K, an order of magnitude higher than those found in the solid (semiconductor) counterpart. The first working example of a liquid-based thermoelectric (TE) generator was reported in 1986 using Ferro/ferricyanide redox salts in water.

However, due to the low electrical conductivity of liquids, its conversion efficiency was very low, preventing their use in low-temperature waste-heat recovery applications. The outlook of liquid TE generators brightened in the last decade with the development of ionic liquids (ILs). ILs are molten salts that are liquid below 100 °C. Compared to classical liquids, they exhibit many favorable features such as high boiling points, low vapour pressure, high ionic conductivity and low thermal conductivity accompanied by higher Se values. More recently, an experimental study by IJCLab and SPEC revealed that the complexation of transition metal redox couples in ionic liquids can lead to enhancing their Se coefficient by more than a three-fold from -1.6 to -5.7 mV/K, one of the highest values reported in IL-based thermoelectric cells. A clear understanding and the precise control of the speciation of metal ions therefore is a gateway to the rational design of future thermoelectrochemical technology.

Based on these recent findings, we proposes to further study the coordination chemistry of transition metal redox ions in ILs and mixtures. A long-term goal associated to the present project is to demonstrate the application potential of liquid thermoelectrochemical cells based on affordable, abundant and environmentally safe materials for thermal energy harvesting as an energy efficiency tool.