Enhanced thermoelectric performance of hydrothermal synthesized Ag incorporated Cu2-xS micro/nano composites

Abstract

Due to a lower intrinsic thermal conductivity, Cu2S-based thermoelectric materials are attracting extensive attention. However, they still confront the problem of higher electrical resistivity, which distinctly restricts their thermoelectric application. Herein, we synthesized Ag-incorporated Cu2-xS micro/nano composites using a hydrothermal method. It was found that the doping of Ag nanoparticles could effectively enhance the electrical transport, while the generated nanopores, caused by the sintering of Ag nanoparticles during the SPS process, reduced the thermal conductivity. As a result, a maximum ZT value of ∼1.5 was obtained at 773 K in the Cu2-xAgδS (δ = 0.5%) micro/nano composites, much higher than that of the pristine Cu2-xS micro/nano composites. This work provides a new pathway to boosting thermoelectric performance through microstructural engineering.