Charge transfer engineering to achieve extraordinary power generation in GeTe-based thermoelectric materials.

By the fine manipulation of the exceptional long-range germanium-telluride (Ge─Te) bonding through charge transfer engineering, we have achieved exceptional thermoelectric (TE) and mechanical properties in lead-free GeTe. This chemical bonding mechanism along with a semiordered zigzag nanostructure generates a notable increase of the average to a record value of ~1.73 in the temperature range of 323 to 773 K with ultrahigh maximum  ~ 2.