Large-scale synthesis and characterization of the size-dependent thermoelectric properties of uniformly sized bismuth nanocrystals

Pressed Bi nanocrystals synthesized by a simple colloidal method exhibited very high electrical conductivity of 10⁴-10⁵ S m ^-1 and extremely low thermal conductivity of 0.35 W m^-1 K^-1. The synthetic method can be used for the inexpensive preparation of highly efficient thermoelectric materials by engineering the size of nanocrystals (see picture; scale bar 50 nm; ZT=figure of merit).