This presentation will briefly introduce the role of the International Thermoelectric Society and explain how the society operates, including its activities, organization, and its importance in supporting the thermoelectric research community worldwide.

The presentation will also discuss selected research outcomes arising from an international collaboration with University of California, Davis. In particular, recent results on the incorporation of Bi₂Te₃ nanoparticles into a Bi₂Te₃ matrix prepared by ball milling will be presented. This approach was designed to enhance phonon scattering through hierarchical microstructural engineering while preserving efficient charge transport. Structural and transport characterizations reveal that the controlled addition of nanoparticles modifies grain boundary density and defect distribution, leading to a significant reduction in thermal conductivity together with promising thermoelectric performance. These findings provide new insights into scalable nanostructuring strategies for high-performance bismuth telluride-based materials near room temperature.

Beyond academic activities, the presentation will conclude with a short personal perspective on some of my hobbies and interests outside research, illustrating the importance of maintaining creativity, curiosity, and balance alongside scientific work.

Overall, this talk will emphasize the complementarity between scientific community involvement, international collaboration, and advanced materials research as key drivers for the future development of thermoelectric science and technology.

Prof. Franck Gascoin

After attending the University of Sciences and Techniques of Nantes, I received a M.S. in advanced solid state chemistry from the Institute Jean Rouxel.

In 1999 I entered the graduate school of Notre Dame University (Indiana, USA) and joined Prof. S.C. Sevov’s group performing “hard core” solid state chemistry. In 2003, I obtained my Ph.D. degree for research on synthesis and characterization of pnictogen-based Zintl Phases.

Also In 2003, I joined the Thermoelectric Team of CALTECH-NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where I worked on high temperature thermoelectric materials within the framework of the Segmented Thermoelectric Multicouple Converters NASA program with mentors like Jeff Snyder and Thierry Caillat. Two years later I was appointed as an assistant professor in Montpellier France, where I work in Jean Claude Tedenac’s team on new thermoelectric materials as well as on new innovative processing techniques.

In 2009, I moved to CRISMAT laboratory for my research activities and I joined the University of Caen Normandy as an assistant professor. I am leading research on thermoelectric materials form exploratory research of new compounds to optimization of known thermoelectric materials through various methods including microwave synthesis and sintering, SPS reactive sintering, microstructure engineering, composites etc.

I am now full professor of chemistry, I have led several large research projects and my involvement and my activities in thermoelectricity have been such that I have been elected in the board of the International Thermoelectric Society in 2013, served as secretary and eventually became the President of the International thermoelectric society (2018-2023).