Converting waste heat into electricity works better in two dimensions

(Phys.org)--The large amount of waste heat produced by power plants and automobile engines can be converted into electricity due to the thermoelectric effect, a physics effect that converts temperature differences into electrical energy. Now in a new study, researchers have confirmed theoretical predictions that two-dimensional (2D) materials--those that are as thin as a single nanometer--exhibit a significantly higher thermoelectric effect than three-dimensional (3D) materials, which are typica...