CHAPTER 4: Thermal and Thermoelectric Properties of Nanomaterials

In this chapter, we present a state-of-the-art of topic about thermal transport and the thermoelectric property of nanoscale materials. We firstly review the fundamental physical phenomena for thermal transport in nanoscale materials, including carbon nanotubes, silicon nanowires, graphene and monolayer MoS₂. Various impacts on thermal conductivity of these nanomaterials are discussed. Then, we provide a review on the current status of research on the thermoelectric property of semiconducting nanowires, including silicon nanowire, silicon-germanium nanowire and ZnO nanowire. We also discuss envisioned applications of nanostructures in the area of heat dissipation to phononic devices.