This project focuses on the research of new thermoelectric materials and the study of their properties, and corresponds to RIS3's Sustainable and Intelligent Materials area since the potential applications of these materials are in the field of thermal energy recovery and conversion to electrical energy. Thanks to thermoelectric effects, it is possible to transform a temperature difference (T) into a difference in electrical potential (T) via the Seebeck effect, or a difference in electrical potential into a difference in temperature via the Peltier effect. Any heat source lost is therefore potentially a source of clean electrical power. Thermoelectric effects were discovered in the late 19th century, and applications are currently limited to niche sectors such as space applications, due to relatively low yields (~5 % of Carnot’s yield). The efficiency of thermoelectric modules depends on the realisation of this module (quality of electrical contacts and thermal contacts in particular), and strongly on the intrinsic properties of the materials that make up it. To improve efficiency, it is essential to discover new families of thermoelectric materials.A good thermoelectric material is characterised by low electrical resistivity, low thermal conductivity and a high Seebeck (S) coefficient, in order to maximise the merit factor ZT = S2T/to reach a value close to 1. Historically, the best thermoelectric materials are low gap semiconductors such as Bi2Te3, PbTe, SiGe, with ZTs close to 1 for T~300K or very high T (~1000 °C for SiGe). These materials are effective, but present problems with toxicity, or thermal stability under air. Moreover, tellure is a very rare element, which cannot be used for large-scale applications. Research for new thermoelectric materials has grown greatly since the 1990s, following the publication of various articles predicting strong increases in S in nanostructured materials, or weak in complex crystallographic structures. It was also suggested that the presence of strong electronic correlations could increase S through a modification of the band structure. In 1997, I. Terasaki showed that it was indeed possible to obtain very high S values, close to those of a semiconductor, in a NaxCoO2 metal oxide with strong electronic correlations. Since the oxides were relatively resistant, they had never been considered for thermoelectricity until then. Oxides consist of abundant, non-toxic elements and can be very stable at high temperature and under air, which promotes the use of these materials for energy recovery applications at very high temperature. This founding article has been quoted 1600 times since 1997, and has truly opened up a new and extremely promising research pathway on thermoelectric oxides at international level. Collaborations between the CRISMAT laboratory and I. Terasaki have so far taken place through exchanges of doctors and PhD students. The aim of this Chair is now to strengthen previous collaborations by benefiting from a long-term presence of I. Terasaki in the laboratory. Ichiro Terasaki is an expert in magneto-transport properties in oxides, looking for original properties derived from the Seebeck effect (such as photoSeebeck'). In collaboration with the physicists and chemists of CRISMAT, he will be able to develop new lines of research within the laboratory, in order to better understand the physics of these thermoelectric materials, and thus determine the parameters relevant for their optimisation.