Synthesis and thermoelectric properties of indium telluride nanowires

Thermoelectric materials, along with recent advances in nano-engineering, have attracted much attention due to the potential applications in energy conversion. A simple approach to synthesize In₂Te₃ nanowires was developed in a thermal chemical vapor deposition furnace by a catalyst-assisted vapor–liquid–solid growth mechanism. Structural characterization of these products was carried out using standard microscopy practices, and the thermoelectric properties of individual as-grown In₂Te₃ nanowires were measured using a suspended microdevice technique. This approach provides an applicable route to synthesize novel In₂Te₃ nanowires as well as to identify information about their thermoelectric behavior.