Entropy-guided design of thermoelectric properties in multi-component compounds

Entropy engineering has emerged as a powerful strategy for overcoming the long-standing trade-offs between electrical and thermal transport in thermoelectric materials. This review critically evaluates how configurational entropy, introduced through multicomponent alloying, governs phase stabilization and transition temperatures, thereby enabling improved thermoelectric performance. We also discuss the entropy-driven core effects and corresponding mechanisms, including electronic band convergence, lattice disorder, and multiscale structural modulation that collectively enhance electronic properties while suppressing lattice thermal conductivity. These mechanisms are examined across a broad range of systems, including chalcogenides half-Heuslers, high-entropy oxides, and metallic materials, with particular emphasis on the structure-property correlations responsible for the observed gains in energy-conversion efficiency. Beyond performance optimization, we assess how entropy engineering improves mechanical robustness and imparts superior thermal and chemical stability, both of which are critical for long-term energy-harvesting applications. Finally, we highlight the opportunities and challenges associated with scalable synthesis and machine-learning-guided discovery of high-entropy TE materials. Collectively, these insights position entropy engineering as a transformative pathway for next-generation thermoelectric technologies.