Characterizing thermoelectric stability.

The limited stability of thermoelectric materials under operating conditions is a major inhibiting factor in the development of thermoelectric technology. With increasing awareness of the stability issue, many stability studies have been carried out during the past decade, and a wide range of characterization methods have been employed for evaluating stability. Here, we present a perspective on the most common characterization methods used in the thermoelectric literature for testing materials stability. Based on the parameter control and comparability to real-world conditions, we propose a division of stability tests into three overall levels to encourage more elaborate stability studies to be made with a high degree of real-world resemblance. For each level, we propose a reporting protocol to streamline the experimental information in stability studies, which will make comparison of results across studies much more reliable. We believe that these steps will help bridge the gap between fundamental materials science and actual application, which is necessary for better maturing thermoelectric technology towards broad commercialization.