The challenges in thermoelectric materials concern mainly the replacement of expensive and toxic bismuth telluride-based thermoelectric devices with cheaper, environmentally benign and more efficient materials. Applications at ambient temperature, such as building-integrated renewable energy systems, have not yet reached commercialisation, mainly due to their high cost/power ratio. The goal of the ORACLE project is to discover novel inorganic and organic-inorganic clathrate compounds with high efficiency as thermoelectric materials. The exploratory synthesis of these compounds will be followed by crystallographic and spectroscopic characterisation. First-principles calculations, combined with machine-learning techniques and Hirshfeld surface analysis on the structural models will study the host-guest interactions and predict the physical properties of the materials. The impact of the ORACLE project is to offer a new, broad class of semiconducting clathrates that can be used in thermoelectric devices with high potential for industrial exploitation.
02.10.2023 to 01.10.2025
The research project is implemented in the framework of H.F.R.I call “Basic research Financing (Horizontal support of all Sciences)” under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan “Greece 2.0” funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU (H.F.R.I. Project Number: 14730).
Semiconducting tin clathrates for thermoelectric applications
The research results from the ORACLE project have been presented at the Chemeet2025 by Dr. Andreas Kaltzoglou.
Synthesis and characterization of polycationic Sn clathrates via ball milling
The research results from the ORACLE project have been presented at the FEMS 2025 Euromat by Dr. Nikolaos Moutzouris.
A computational study on type-I Sn clathrates with inorganic and organic guests
The research results from the ORACLE project have been presented at the 21th European Thermoelectric Conference ECT2025 by Dr. Nikolaos Kelaidis and Dr. Emmanuel Klontzas.
Clathrate compounds for thermoelectric devices
The research results from the ORACLE project have been presented at the Thessaloniki International Fair (ΔΕΘ2025) by Dr. Nagia Tagiara.
A DFT Computational Study of Type-I Clathrates A8Sn46−x (A = Cs or NH4, x = 0 or 2)
The first research article from the ORACLE Project has been published in the Journal Materials (MDPI).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17184595
A theoretical study on the type-I clathrate (NH4)8Sn46−x (x = 0 or 2)
The research results from the ORACLE project have been presented at the 40th International and 20th European Thermoelectric Conference ICT/ECT2024 by Dr. Nikolaos Kelaidis.
Hot-pressing and thermoelectric measurements on clathrate compounds at the Powder Technology Laboratory (University of Cyprus)
Dr. Andreas Kaltzoglou and Dr. Nikolaos Moutzouris visited the Research Laboratory of Prof. Theodora Kyratsi (Powder Technology Laboratory - Dept. of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, Nicosia),
over the period 03 – 07.02.2025, for hot-pressing and thermoelectric measurements on clathrate compounds, within the frame of the ORACLE project.
