Researchers from CNR-INO, CEA Saclay, École des Ponts ParisTech and PHENIX, a joint laboratory between CNRS and Sorbonne University demonstrated a novel hybrid solar-enabled power generation concept in magnetic nanocolloids showing thermoelectric properties.

A functional fluid consisting of a stable colloidal suspension of maghemite magnetic nanoparticles in water is proposed for direct electricity generation from thermoelectric effect enabled by the absorption of sunlight. These nanoparticles were found to be an excellent solar radiation absorber and simultaneously a thermoelectric power-output enhancer with only a very small volume fraction when the fluid was heated from the top.
The work demonstrates the investigated nanofluid’s high promise as a heat transfer fluid for co-generating heat and power in brand new hybrid flat-plate solar thermal collectors where top-heating geometry is imposed.

The paper is published open access on Nanomaterials journal.

Sani, Elisa, Maria Raffaella Martina, Thomas J. Salez, Sawako Nakamae, Emmanuelle Dubois, and Véronique Peyre
“Multifunctional Magnetic Nanocolloids for Hybrid Solar-Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting.”
Nanomaterials vol. 11, no. 4 (2021): 1031.
https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11041031