Large Seebeck coefficients in iron-oxypnictides:: a new route towards n-type thermoelectric materials

The iron-oxypnictide compounds, recently reported as a new class of superconductors when appropriately doped, exhibit large Seebeck coefficients, of the order of -100 mu V/K, while keeping good electrical conductivity. Their power factor shows a peak at low temperatures, suggesting possible applications of these materials in thermoelectric cooling modules in the liquid nitrogen temperature range. (c) 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.