High thermoelectric efficiency realized in SnSe crystals via structural modulation

Abstract

Crystalline thermoelectrics have been developed to be potential candidates for power generation and electronic cooling, among which SnSe crystals are becoming the most representative. Herein, we realize high-performance SnSe crystals with promising efficiency through a structural modulation strategy. By alloying strontium at Sn sites, we modify the crystal structure and facilitate the multiband synglisis in p-type SnSe, favoring the optimization of interactive parameters μ and m*. Resultantly, we obtain a significantly enhanced PF ~85 μW cm−1 K−2, with an ultrahigh ZT ~1.4 at 300 K and ZTave ~2.0 among 300–673 K. Moreover, the excellent properties lead to single-leg device efficiency of ~8.9% under a temperature difference ΔT ~300 K, showing superiority among the current low- to mid-temperature thermoelectrics, with an enhanced cooling ΔTmax of ~50.4 K in the 7-pair thermoelectric device. Our study further advances p-type SnSe crystals for practical waste heat recovery and electronic cooling.