And so, using nanotechnology, the researchers demonstrated a dramatic increase in the thermoelectric efficiency of bismuth antimony telluride in bulk form. The material is a semiconductor alloy that has been widely used since the '50s in many commercial devices. More specifically, the researchers have demonstrated a 40 percent increase in the alloy's "figure of merit," which is a quantity that characterizes a material's performance relative to other materials of the same type, ultimately to gauge their utility for application. Since the alloy is both cost-friendly and environmentally friendly, the researchers are confident it will be swiftly adopted for a number of things - elevating us to completely new levels of efficiency for heating, cooling, and power generation.

The team has primarily focused on balancing efficiency and cost. Thermoelectric materials, again, have been in use for years. For instance, NASA has been harnessing them to generate power for ships involved in deep space exploration and some automobile seat makers have used them to produce cool seats for drivers in hot weather.

One of the most exciting applications of the team's research is using thermoelectric materials to convert the waste heat of a car's exhaust system into an electric current that would be recycled and, in turn, power the vehicle. This technique will be crucial in the fight against global warming, Ren said. Instead of hurting the environment, waste heat will be recycled. In an article for The Boston Globe titled "From heat to electricity and back again," Felicia Mello mentions two other intriguing applications: jackets that charge cell phones by using body heat and a mini-power plant that lights lamps by using the heat in an apartment.

Ren and Chen, along with Chief Executive Officer Mike Clary, have formed a company named GMZ Energy Inc., based in Newton, which will begin exploring the commercial opportunities engendered by the team's research, bringing low-cost and efficient thermoelectric technology to public consumers. It is quite possible that thermoelectric cooling devices - once their efficiency is further developed - will one day replace regular refrigerators and thermoelectric power will be used in all environmentally friendly homes.

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