Electronic and thermal transport engineering of a highly earth-abundant and low-cost Sn-based thermoelectric material

Abstract

Tin monosulfide (SnS), composed of abundant, low-cost, and environmentally friendly elements, has garnered significant attention in the field of thermoelectrics due to its analogous electron and phonon transport properties to SnSe. However, undoped SnS exhibits a limited charge carrier concentration, resulting in poor electrical conductivity. In this study, a dual doping approach was employed, introducing both cationic (Na and Pb) and anionic (Se and Te) dopants into polycrystalline SnS. This approach yielded a notable enhancement in electrical properties and a reduction in thermal conductivity. As a result of these modifications, the figure of merit (zT) reached 0.38 at approximately 525 K. Specifically, the power factor increased to 2.25 μWcm−1K−2, while the total thermal conductivity was reduced to 0.3 Wm−1K−1. These findings highlight the potential of synergistic cation and anion doping strategies to significantly improve the thermoelectric performance of SnS at relatively lower temperatures, offering a pathway for further exploration of cost-effective thermoelectric materials based on SnS.