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).