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Thermoelectric materials can efficiently and cleanly convert between electrical and thermal energy，offering significant prospects in waste heat recovery and electronic cooling applications. Lead telluride（PbTe）materials were used in thermoelectric power sources for deep space exploration. Lead selenide（PbSe），a homologue of PbTe，shows potential as a more abundant and cost-effective alternative for mid-temperature thermoelectric power generation. Recently，research in PbSe thermoelectric has shifted from mid-temperature power generation to near-room-temperature cooling，driven by the growing demand for Te-free thermoelectric cooling materials and devices. This paper reviewed the typical optimization strategies used in the research of p-type PbSe，summarized the key research progress in thermoelectric devices based on this material，and highlighted its significant development prospects. Finally，we provide a personal outlook on developing the near-room-temperature thermoelectric performance of p-type PbSe materials and manufacturing high-performance cooling devices，which includes integrating various optimization strategies，optimizing device assembly techniques，identifying suitable contact materials，and developing Te-free thermoelectric devices based on PbSe，with the goal of advancing their application in critical fields such as deep space exploration and laser cooling.

Thermoelectric materials can efficiently and cleanly convert between electrical and thermal energy, offering significant prospects in waste heat recovery and electronic cooling applications. Lead telluride(PbTe) materials were used in thermoelectric power sources for deep space exploration. Lead selenide(PbSe), a homologue of PbTe, shows potential as a more abundant and cost-effective alternative for mid-temperature thermoelectric power generation. Recently, research in PbSe thermoelectric has shifted from mid-temperature power generation to near-room-temperature cooling, driven by the growing demand for Te-free thermoelectric cooling materials and devices. This paper reviewed the typical optimization strategies used in the research of p-type PbSe, summarized the key research progress in thermoelectric devices based on this material, and highlighted its significant development prospects. Finally, we provide a personal outlook on developing the near-room-temperature thermoelectric performance of p-type PbSe materials and manufacturing high-performance cooling devices, which includes integrating various optimization strategies, optimizing device assembly techniques, identifying suitable contact materials, and developing Te-free thermoelectric devices based on PbSe, with the goal of advancing their application in critical fields such as deep space exploration and laser cooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermoelectric materials are widely researched for their energy conversion capabilities in the fields of power generation and refrigeration. And a superior thermoelectric conversion efficiency requires an excellent power factor and low thermal conductivity. Herein, a remarkable thermoelectric figure of merit（ZT） ∼ 2.6 at 673 K is realized in GeTe with 20% addition of CuSbSe2. Multiple synergistic effects of CuSbSe2 alloying collectively contribute to the excellent thermoelectric performance in GeTe. CuSbSe2 alloying effectively tunes ultrahigh carrier density of GeTe to the optimum. The introduction of Cu, Sb, and Se atoms create numerous point defects that scatter high‐frequency phonons. Additionally, surplus CuSbSe2 facilitates the formation of copper‐selenium phases, which embed at grain boundaries and generate interfaces after sintering. Combining the planar defects evolved from Ge vacancies, multi‐dimension defects effectively scatter multiple frequency phonons. An extraordinarily low lattice thermal conductivity of 0.3 Wm−1 K−1 at 673 K is obtained, approaching the theoretical estimation predicted by Cahill model. Eventually, the peak conversion efficiency of 7.4% is obtained in segmented device with ΔT of 419 K. The commingled effects of CuSbSe2 in GeTe further open up an elitist route to designing high‐performance materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foliar diseases of maize are among the most important diseases of maize worldwide. This study focused on 4 major foliar diseases of maize: Goss's wilt, gray leaf spot, northern corn leaf blight, and southern corn leaf blight. QTL mapping for resistance to Goss's wilt was conducted in 4 disease resistance introgression line populations with Oh7B as the common recurrent parent and Ki3, NC262, NC304, and NC344 as recurrent donor parents. Mapping results for Goss's wilt resistance were combined with previous studies for gray leaf spot, northern corn leaf blight, and southern corn leaf blight resistance in the same 4 populations. We conducted (1) individual linkage mapping analysis to identify QTL specific to each disease and population; (2) Mahalanobis distance analysis to identify putative multiple disease resistance regions for each population; and 3) joint linkage mapping to identify QTL across the 4 populations for each disease. We identified 3 lines that were resistant to all 4 diseases. We mapped 13 Goss's wilt QTLs in the individual populations and an additional 6 using joint linkage mapping. All Goss's wilt QTL had small effects, confirming that resistance to Goss's wilt is highly quantitative. We report several potentially important chromosomal bins associated with multiple disease resistance including 1.02, 1.03, 3.04, 4.06, 4.08, and 9.03. Together, these findings indicate that disease QTL distribution is not random and that there are locations in the genome that confer resistance to multiple diseases. Furthermore, resistance to bacterial and fungal diseases is not entirely distinct, and we identified lines resistant to both fungi and bacteria, as well as loci that confer resistance to both bacterial and fungal diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BiSbSe3 is a Te‐free thermoelectric material with intrinsically low thermal conductivity. Its thermoelectric performance is limited by poor electrical conductivity. To optimize electrical conductivity, Bi2SbSe3 with high carrier concentration and mobility is introduced to BiSbSe3 matrix through in situ reaction and conventional mechanical mixing. In both methods, carrier concentrations are improved by carrier injection and redistribution. Carrier mobility is manipulated based on microstructure. In the conventional method, isolated flake‐shaped Bi2SbSe3 grains with weak‐bonding phase boundaries restrict carrier mobility. For the in situ method, irregular Bi2SbSe3 connects into conductive networks inducing a percolation effect, and in situ formed small‐angle phase boundaries barely impede carriers. Thus, the carrier mobilities of in situ composites are significantly improved and higher than that of conventional composites. Simultaneously optimized carrier concentration and mobility remarkably enhance electrical conductivity over the whole working temperature. Maximum electrical conductivity of 378 S cm−1 is achieved in BiSbSe3‐38 vol% Bi2SbSe3 in situ composites at 300 K, obtaining more than 300% improvement compared with 124 S cm−1 in BiSbSe3 matrix. Lattice thermal conductivity is reduced at a low compositing fraction. Ultimately, a record‐breaking average ZT of 0.65 (300–750 K) is attained in BiSbSe3‐13 vol% Bi2SbSe3 in situ composite. The in situ compositing method in this work effectively optimizes electrical performance, anticipated to be applied in other thermoelectric materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Balancing the contradictory relationship between thermoelectric parameters, such as effective mass and carrier mobility, is a challenge to optimize thermoelectric performance. Herein, the exceptional thermoelectric performance is realized in GeTe through collaboratively optimizing the carrier and phonon transport via stepwise alloying Pb and CuSbSe2. The formation energy of Ge vacancy is efficiently bolstered by alloying Pb, which reduces carrier density and carrier scattering to maintain superior carrier mobility in GeTe. Additionally, CuSbSe2, acting as an n‐type dopant, further modulates carrier density and validly equilibrates carrier mobility and effective mass. Accordingly, the promising power factor of 45 µW cm−1 K−2 is achieved at 723 K. Meanwhile, point defects are found to significantly suppress phonons transport to descend lattice thermal conductivity by Pb and CuSbSe2 alloying, which barely impacts the carrier mobility. A combination with superior carrier mobility and lower lattice thermal conductivity, a maximum ZT of 2.2 is attained in Ge0.925Pb0.075Cu0.005Sb0.005TeSe0.01, which corresponds to a 100% promotion compared with that of intrinsic GeTe. This study provides a new indicator for optimizing carrier and phonon transport properties by balancing interrelated thermoelectric parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]