Enhancing the Thermoelectric Performance of Bulk Zinc Oxide via Single and Multiple Doping Strategies

TE materials are highly regarded for their exceptional ability to efficiently convert waste heat into electricity, making them the most profitable type of energy harvesting materials. Oxide-based materials are highly promising due to their advantageous characteristics such as their large elemental abundance, nontoxicity, and good thermal stability. Zinc oxide shows outstanding thermal stability throughout a wide temperature range, as well as high Seebeck coefficient. These features render ZnO a highly promising candidate for TE applications. However, the TE performance of the oxide is limited by its extremely high thermal conductivity and limited electrical c0onductivity. Numerous strategies have been thought of to deal with these problems, and the investigation emphasized doping approaches. This review offers valuable insights for researchers who are fascinated by the subject of TEmaterials and their applications.