Average ZT Research Articles

Thermoelectric performance of Cu3InSnSe5 and MnSe pseudo-binary solid solution

Cu3InSnSe5 is a newly discovered copper-based diamond-like thermoelectric semiconductor, whose thermoelectric performance can be further enhanced by the MnSe alloying herein. We observed the formation of MnSe2 precipitates that effectively scattered low-frequency phonons, which significantly reduced the lattice thermal conductivity at mid-to-low temperatures. While a high amount of MnSe alloying led to the formation of MnSe2 precipitates which enhanced the phonons scattering, a smaller MnSe content improved the power factor in a certain as well. Ultimately, our research achieved a peak ZT of 1.00 and an average ZT of 0.50 over the 300–773 K temperature range by 10 mol.% MnSe alloyed Cu3InSnSe5 pseudo-binary solid solution, demonstrating the potential of MnSe alloying for optimizing the thermoelectric performance of copper-based diamond-like semiconductor materials.

Synergistic Suppression of Bipolar Effect and Lattice Thermal Conductivity Leading to High Average Figure of Merit in Bi0.4Sb1.6Te3 Materials through Alloying with AgSbTe2.

Bismuth telluride-based materials have been widely used in commercial thermoelectric applications due to their excellent thermoelectric performance in the near-room-temperature range, yet further improvement of their thermoelectric properties is still necessary. Moreover, the narrow band gap of these materials results in a bipolar effect at elevated temperatures, which causes severe degradation of the thermoelectric performance. In this work, the commercial Bi0.4Sb1.6Te3 was alloyed with AgSbTe2 by using high-energy ball milling method combined with spark plasma sintering. It was found that ball milling can effectively reduce the lattice thermal conductivity of the samples. The alloying of AgSbTe2 leads to a gradual increase in hole carrier concentration, resulting in an enhanced electrical conductivity and optimized power factor. Additionally, the bipolar effect is also weakened due to the increased hole carrier concentration. Furthermore, the substitution of Ag in the Bi/Sb sublattice causes further reduction in the lattice thermal conductivity. Ultimately, the sample alloyed with 0.15 wt % AgSbTe2 demonstrates its best thermoelectric performance with a maximum zT of 1.35 at 393 K, showing a 20.5% improvement compared to the commercial sample. Besides, its average zT reaches a high value of 1.25 between 303 and 483 K, with a 27.6% improvement compared to that of the commercial sample.

Interplay between metavalent bonds and dopant orbitals enables the design of SnTe thermoelectrics

Engineering the electronic band structures upon doping is crucial to improve the thermoelectric performance of materials. Understanding how dopants influence the electronic states near the Fermi level is thus a prerequisite to precisely tune band structures. Here, we demonstrate that the Sn-s states in SnTe contribute to the density of states at the top of the valence band. This is a consequence of the half-filled p-p σ-bond (metavalent bonding) and its resulting symmetry of the orbital phases at the valence band maximum (L point of the Brillouin zone). This insight provides a recipe for identifying superior dopants. The overlap between the dopant s- and the Te p-state is maximized, if the spatial overlap of both orbitals is maximized and their energetic difference is minimized. This simple design rule has enabled us to screen out Al as a very efficient dopant to enhance the local density of states for SnTe. In conjunction with doping Sb to tune the carrier concentration and alloying with AgBiTe2 to promote band convergence, as well as introducing dislocations to impede phonon propagation, a record-high average ZT of 1.15 between 300 and 873 K and a large ZT of 0.36 at 300 K is achieved in Sn0.8Al0.08Sb0.15Te-4%AgBiTe2.

Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance of SnTe via Introducing Resonant Levels

SnTe has emerged as a non-toxic and environmentally friendly alternative to the high-performance thermoelectric material PbTe, attracting significant interest in sustainable energy applications. In our previous work, we successfully synthesized high-quality SnTe with reduced thermal conductivity under high-pressure conditions. Building on this, in this work, we introduced indium (In) doping to further decrease thermal conductivity under high pressure. By incorporating resonance doping into the SnTe matrix, we aimed to enhance the electrical transport properties while maintaining low thermal conductivity. This approach enhances the Seebeck coefficient to an impressive 153 μVK−1 at 735 K, marking a notable enhancement compared to undoped SnTe. Furthermore, we noted a substantial decrease in total thermal conductivity, dropping from 6.91 to 3.88 Wm−1K−1 at 325 K, primarily due to the reduction in electrical conductivity. The synergistic impact of decreased thermal conductivity and heightened Seebeck coefficient resulted in a notable improvement in the thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) and average ZT, achieving approximately 0.5 and 0.22 in the doped samples, respectively. These advancements establish Sn1−xInxTe as a promising candidate to replace PbTe in thermoelectric applications, providing a safer and more environmentally sustainable option.

Enhanced Weighted Mobility Induced High Thermoelectric Performance in Argyrodite Ag8SnSe6.

The argyrodite family has emerged as a promising thermoelectric candidate due to its highly diffusive Ag ions and inherent low thermal conductivity. To address issues that commonly arise with hot pressing (HP) sintering, this study proposes to use the zone melting (ZM) method to synthesize high-density polycrystalline bulk Ag8SnSe6 samples. The thermoelectric properties of samples synthesized by the ZM and HP methods were thoroughly evaluated over a temperature range of 300 to 700 K. Due to the weaker scattering of electrons, the ZM-synthesized samples exhibited an ∼60% increase in weighted mobility, compared to those produced by the HP method. Despite the slight increase in thermal conductivity, the specimen synthesized by the ZM method achieves a higher peak zT value of 1.05 at 700 K. The average zT value also improves to 0.71 across the temperature range of 300 to 700 K. This work demonstrates the effectiveness of the ZM method in enhancing the thermoelectric performance of Ag8SnSe6, with great potential applicability to other argyrodite compounds.

Significantly Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance of p-Type Mg3Sb2 via Zn Substitution on Mg(2) Site: Optimization of Hole Concentration Through Ag Doping.

n-Type Mg3Sb2-based thermoelectric materials have recently garnered significant interest due to their superior thermoelectric efficiency. Yet, the advancement of p-type Mg3Sb2 for thermoelectric applications is impeded by its lower dimensionless figure of merit (zT). In this study, we demonstrate the improved thermoelectric performance of p-type Mg3Sb2 through the strategic optimization of Zn content and Ag doping on the Mg/Zn(2) site. Initially, samples of Mg3-xZnxSb2 (x = 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5) were synthesized via elemental reactions within a Pyrex tube, followed by densification through hot pressing. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that the Mg3-xZnxSb2 phases retain the same Pm1 space group as the pristine Mg3Sb2 phase. The strategic substitution of Zn improved the power factor via band convergence and reduced lattice thermal conductivity by introducing point defect phonon scattering. This led to a peak zT of 0.5 at 725 K, with an average zT of 0.25 across the 325-725 K range. Enhancement in carrier concentration was achieved by doping Ag onto the Zn site, culminating in a peak zT of 0.95 at 725 K and an average zT of 0.46 between 325 and 725 K for the Mg2Zn0.97Ag0.03Sb2 sample. This performance surpasses that of most p-type Mg3Sb2-based materials, markedly advancing the potential for Mg3Sb2-based materials in midtemperature heat recovery thermoelectric generators.

High thermoelectric performance in Ag-doped Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 nanocomposites synthesized via low-temperature liquid phase sintering

In recent years, low-temperature liquid phase sintering (LPS) has emerged as a cost-effectiveness method for designing thermoelectric nanocomposites with reduced lattice thermal conductivity. However, their electrical conductivity often remains suboptimal, limiting the overall figure of merit (ZT). In this study, xwt% Ag/Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 (x = 0,0.1,0.2,0.3,0.4) nanocomposites are prepared through low-temperature LPS method followed by subsequent annealing. Remarkably, a small amount of silver atoms was doped into the Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 matrix post-annealing, significantly increasing carrier concentration and improving electrical conductivity. Additionally, residual Ag atoms formed Ag₂Te nanoprecipitates, and lattice defects (including grain boundaries, twin boundaries, dislocations, and lattice distortions) effectively reduced lattice thermal conductivity. The 0.3 wt% Ag/Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 sample achieved a maximum ZT value of 1.36 at 400 K, double that of the pure Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 sample, with an average ZT value of 1.17, among the highest reported. This work demonstrates significant potential for synthesizing high-performance thermoelectric materials via low-temperature LPS methods.

Robustly Boosting Thermoelectric Performance of N-Type PbSe via Lattice Plainification and Dynamic Doping.

Ideal thermoelectrics shall possess a high average ZT, which relies on high carrier mobility and appropriate carrier density at operating temperature. However, conventional doping usually results in a temperature-independent carrier concentration, making performance optimization over a wide temperature range be challenging. This work demonstrates the combination of lattice plainification and dynamic doping strategies is an effective route to boost the average ZT of N-type PbSe. Because Sn and Pb have similar ionic radii and electronegativity, this allows Sn to fill the intrinsic Pb vacancies and effectively improves the carrier mobility of PbSe to 1300 cm2 V-1 s-1. Furthermore, a trace amount of Cu is introduced into the Sn-filled PbSe to optimize the carrier concentration. The extra Cu is situated in the interstitial sides of the lattice, which undergoes a dissolution-precipitation process with temperature, leading to a strongly temperature-dependent carrier density in the material. This dynamic doping effectively improves the electrical transport properties and is also valid to suppress the lattice thermal conductivity. Ultimately, the resulting PbSn0.004Se+3‰Cu obtains a maximum ZT of ≈1.7 at 800 K and an average ZT of ≈1.0, with a 7.7% power generation efficiency in a single-arm device, showing significant potential for commercial application.

Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance of p-type AgSbTe2 via Cu Doping.

Recently, the p-type semiconductor AgSbTe2 has received a great deal of attention due to its promising thermoelectric performance in intermediate temperatures (300-700 K). However, its performance is limited by the suboptimal carrier concentration and the presence of Ag2Te impurities. Herein, we synthesized AgSb1-xCuxTe2 (x = 0, 0.02, 0.04, and 0.06) and investigated the effect of Cu doping on the thermoelectric properties of AgSbTe2. Our results indicate that Cu doping suppresses the Ag2Te impurities, raises the carrier concentration, and results in an improved power factor (PF). The calculation reveals that Cu doping downshifts the Fermi energy level, reduces the energy band gap and the difference among several valence band maximums, and thereby explains the improvement of PF. In addition, Cu doping reduces the thermal conductivity, possibly attributed to the inhibition of Ag2Te impurities and the phonon softening of the AgSb1-xCuxTe2. Overall, Cu doping improves the ZT of AgSb1-xCuxTe2. Among all samples, AgSb0.96Cu0.04Te2 has a maximum ZT of ∼1.45 at 498 K and an average ZT of ∼1.11 from 298 to 573 K.

Janus-like Structure and Resonance Level Actualized Ultralow Lattice Thermal Conductivity and Enhanced ZTave in Mg3(Sb, Bi)2-Based Zintls.

Grain boundary (GB) engineering includes grain size and GB segregation. Grain size has been proven to affect the electrical properties of Mg3(Sb, Bi)2 at low temperatures. However, the formation mechanism of GB segregation and what kind of GB segregation is beneficial to the performance are still unclear. Here, the Ga/Bi cosegregation at GBs and Mg segregation within grains optimize the transport of electrons and phonons simultaneously. Ga/Bi cosegregation promotes the formation of Janus-like structures due to the diverse ordering tendencies of liquid Mg3Sb2 and Mg3Bi2 and the absence of a solid solution of Ga/Bi. The Janus-like structure significantly reduces the room-temperature lattice thermal conductivity by introducing diverse microdefects. Meanwhile, a coherent interface between the nano Mg segregation region and the matrix is formed, which reduces the thermal conductivity without affecting the carrier transport. Furthermore, the band structure calculations show that Ga doping introduces the resonance level, increasing the Seebeck coefficient. Finally, the lattice thermal conductivity reaches ∼0.4 W m-1 K-1, and a high average ZT of 1.21 between 323 and ∼773 K is achieved for Mg3.2Y0.02Ga0.03Sb1.5Bi0.5. This work provides guidance for improving the thermoelectric performance via designing cosegregation.

Synergistic Performance of Thermoelectric and Mechanical in Nanotwinned High-Entropy Semiconductors AgMnGePbSbTe5.

Introducing nanotwins in thermoelectric materials represents a promising approach to achieving such a synergistic combination of thermoelectric properties and mechanical properties. By increasing configurational entropy, a sharply reduced stacking fault energy in a new nanotwinned high-entropy semiconductor AgMnGePbSbTe5 is reached. Dense coherent nanotwin boundaries in this system provide an efficient phonon scattering barrier, leading to a high figure of merit ZT of ≈2.46 at 750K and a high average ZT of ≈1.54 (300-823K) with the presence of Ag2Te nanoprecipitate in the sample. More importantly, owing to the dislocation pinning caused by coherent nanotwin boundaries and the chemical short-range disorder caused by the high configurational entropy effect, AgMnGePbSbTe5 also exhibits robust mechanical properties, with flexural strength of 82MPa and Vickers hardness of 210HV.

Boosting thermoelectric performance of polycrystalline SnSe by controlled in-situ Ag2Se precipitates in grain boundaries

Boundary engineering has proven effective in enhancing the thermoelectric performance of materials. SnSe, known for its low thermal conductivity, has garnered significant interest; however, its application is hindered by poor electrical conductivity. Herein, the Ag8GeSe6 is introduced into the p-type polycrystalline SnSe matrix to optimize the thermoelectric performance, and the in-situ Ag2Se precipitates are formed in grain boundaries, which play dual roles, acting as an electron attraction center for improving hole concentration and a phonon scattering center for reducing lattice thermal conductivity. It effectively decouples the thermal and electrical transport properties to optimize the thermoelectric performance. Importantly, the amount of Ag2Se can be controlled by adjusting the amount of Ag8GeSe6 added to the SnSe matrix. The introduction of Ag8GeSe6 enhances electrical conductivity due to the increased hole carrier caused by the introduced Ag+ and the formed electron attraction center (in-situ Ag2Se precipitates). Based on the DFT calculations, the band gap of the Ag8GeSe6-doped samples is considerably decreased, facilitating carrier transport. As a result, the electrical transport properties increase to 808 μW m−1 K−2 at 823 K for SnSe + 0.5 wt% Ag8GeSe6. In addition, in-situ Ag2Se precipitates in grain boundaries strongly enhance phonon scattering, causing a decrease in lattice thermal conductivity. Furthermore, the presence of defects contributes to a reduction in lattice thermal conductivity. Specifically, the thermal conductivity of SnSe + 1.0 wt% Ag8GeSe6 decreases to 0.29 W m−1 K−1 at 823 K. Consequently, SnSe + 0.5 wt% Ag8GeSe6 obtains a high ZT value of 1.7 at 823 K and maintains a high average ZT value of 0.57 over the temperature range of 323−773 K. Additionally, the mechanical properties of Ag8GeSe6-doped also show an improvement. These advancements can be applied to energy supply applications during deep space exploration.

Entropy engineering promotes thermoelectric performance while realizing P–N switchable conduction in BiSbSe1.5Te1.5

BiSbSe1.5Te1.5, a typical multi-layered compound, can be utilized to fabricate p-n junctions with the identical chemical composition by regulating the antisite defects and anion vacancies via defect engineering. However, the thermoelectric performance of n-type BiSbSe1.5Te1.5 is limited due to poor electrical transport properties. Entropy engineering is a novel strategy for expanding the space of performance optimization in materials science, including the field of thermoelectric. Herein, we realize a largely enhanced thermoelectric performance for n-type BiSbSe1.5Te1.5 by employing entropy engineering. Both mass field fluctuations and stress variations field are introduced simultaneously in the lattice, leading to additional phonon scattering. Moreover, nano-laminate structure, nanoscale interstices and holes are formed in the samples. All of these defects and nanoscale structures are especially efficient on trapping phonons. As a result, the optimizing electrical transport properties while maintaining low thermal conductivity are achieved, showcasing a peak ZT of 0.54 at 475 K and a remarkable average ZT of 0.45 between 300 and 550 K for n-type BiSbSe1.25Te1.75.These findings not only provide a way to enhance the thermoelectric performance of n-type BiSbSe1.5Te1.5 but also push forward the promise of the applications in fabricating well-matched p-n junctions using thermoelectric materials with the identical chemical composition.

High-Performance SnTe Thermoelectric Materials Enabled by the Synergy of Band Convergence and Phonon Scattering.

SnTe, an environmentally friendly thermoelectric material, has garnered widespread scholarly interest owing to its lead-free nature; however, its intrinsic thermoelectric performance is constrained by a relatively low Seebeck coefficient and an extremely high lattice thermal conductivity. In this investigation, we employ the alloying of Ge and AgSbTe2 to enhance the zT value of SnTe. The study found that Ge, Ag, and Sb can effectively enhance the Seebeck coefficient and power factor of SnTe by utilizing band convergence. At the same time, a multitude of point defects induce phonon scattering, consequently decreasing the lattice thermal conductivity of SnTe. Collectively, these synergistic effects result in Sn0.75Ge0.25Te-15% AgSbTe2 achieving its highest zT value of 1.28 at 823 K, with an average zT value of 0.77 between 400 and 823 K. Such high zT values of the SnTe-based thermoelectric material provide the potential for applications in high-performance solid-state thermoelectric devices.

Realizing high thermoelectric performance and thermal stability in CuInTe2 through heavy dose Mg doping

Cu based ternary compounds have received intensive attentions as thermoelectric materials but their carrier mobility and thermal stability are subject to native Cu vacancy. In this work, the synergistic improvement in thermoelectric performance and stability in CuInTe2 is presented, facilitated by local chemical bond enhancement. Heavy dose Mg doping on In site can successfully suppress the formation of Cu vacancy in CuInTe2 and its thermal stability is significantly improved. As a result, In comparison to alternative dopants, Mg doping demonstrates a notable capacity for reinforcing the lattice structure through the inhibition of copper vacancies, thereby yielding a considerable enhancement in mobility by 20 %∼50 %, and the zT value of CuIn0.94Mg0.06Te2 exceeds 1.2 at 873 K. By further alloying with Ga on In site, the thermal conductivity is greatly reduced and more surprisingly the thermal stability is continuously enhanced. Notably, in Cu(In0.4Ga0.6)0.94Mg0.06Te2, a peak zT value of 1.72 at 973 K is achieved, while in Cu(In0.6Ga0.4)0.94Mg0.06Te2, an average zT value of 0.82 is attained. This study offers valuable insights into optimizing the thermoelectric performance and thermal stability of Cu-based ternary compounds through effective doping and defect regulation, providing guidance for future research in this field.

Grain Manipulation by Annealing Treatment Realizes High-Performance N-Type Bi2Te2.4Se0.6 Thermoelectric Material and Device.

Bi2Te3-based materials play a crucial role in solid cooling and power generation, but the rapidly deteriorated ZT with rising temperatures above 450 K severely limits further applications. Here, this paper reports a novel preparation method of annealing treatment for molten ingot, which can enhance the thermoelectric performance of n-type Bi2Te2.4Se0.6 in a wide temperature range. Instead of conventional halides, copper is adopted to regulate the carrier concentration and grain size to optimal levels. During the process of annealing at 573 K for 4h, the number of twins significantly increases and the grains of Cu-doped samples become larger and more oriented. These optimizations lead to higher carrier mobility with similar carrier concentration compared with the sample without heat treatment. The synergistic effects of Cu doping and annealing treatment realize a high average ZT of 0.89 within 300-600 K in n-type Cu0.02Bi2Te2.4Se0.6. Combined with p-type (Bi,Sb)2Te3, the fabricated thermoelectric device exhibits a high conversion efficiency of 6.9% at a temperature difference of 300 K. This study suggests that annealing treatment is a simple and effective scheme to promote the applications of n-type Bi2(Te,Se)3 in a wide temperature range.

Enhancement of thermoelectric properties of p-type bismuth telluride bulk composites with Ag-TiO2 nano particles via spray coating and hot deformation process

We aimed to enhance p-type Bi0.4Sb1.6Te3.4 (BST) composite's thermoelectric (TE) properties by minimizing thermal conductivity through hierarchical phonon scattering via nano Ag-coated TiO2 (Ag/TiO2). Hot deformation (HD) was employed to induce multi-scale microstructures in these high-performance p-type TE materials, affecting electrical and thermal transport properties through improved textures and donor-like effects. Our optimization strategy included creating grain boundaries, multiple phonons scattering centers, and introducing high-density lattice defects, significantly reducing lattice thermal conductivity. The combined effects led to a noticeable improvement in the figure of merit (zT) across the temperature range, with all TE parameters measured along the in-plane direction. In the case of the hot-deformed Bi0.4Sb1.6Te3.4 alloy, the maximum zT reached 1.31 at 350 K, while the average zT (zTavg) was 1.17 in the range of 300–400 K, suggesting promising potential for near room temperature TE power generation and solid-state cooling.

Synergistic Improvement of BiI3 and In on Thermoelectric Properties of Zone-Melted n-Type Bi2Te2.7Se0.3.

Bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) is the only commercial thermoelectric material so far, and it is also the best thermoelectric material with the best performance at room temperature. However, up to now, the zT value of n-type materials used on a large scale is only about 1.0; this makes the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of thermoelectric devices and thermoelectric applications stagnant. Therefore, under the synergistic action of BiI3 and In, the properties of n-type Bi2Te2.7Se0.3 material are improved. The experiments show that BiI3, which is nontoxic and non-absorbent, can effectively improve the power factor of the material and inhibit the bipolar effect and is an effective dopant. After the inclusion of In, due to the low bond energy of the In-Te bond, it is easy to form the InTe phase in the matrix material and then introduce the second phase, and the presence of the second phase in the material will scatter phonons and reduce the lattice thermal conductivity so that it can reach 0.31 W m-1 K-1 at 350 K. Ultimately, a high maximum zT of 1.20 at 325 K and a remarkable average zT of 1.04 (300-500 K) are attained in the In0.005Bi1.995Te2.7Se0.3 + 0.13 wt % BiI3 sample.

Stabilization and high thermoelectric performance of high-entropy-type cubic AgBi(S, Se, Te)2

As thermoelectric generators can convert waste heat into electricity, they play an important role in energy harvesting. The metal chalcogenide AgBiSe2 is one of the high-performance thermoelectric materials with low lattice thermal conductivity (κlat), but it exhibits temperature-dependent crystal structural transitions from hexagonal to rhombohedral, and finally a cubic phase as the temperature rises. The high figure-of-merit ZT is obtained only for the high-temperature cubic phase. In this study, we utilized the high-entropy-alloy (HEA) concept for AgBiSe2 to stabilize the cubic phase throughout the entire temperature range with enhanced thermoelectric performance. We synthesized high-entropy-type AgBiSe2−2xSxTex bulk polycrystals and realized the stabilization of the cubic phase from room temperature to 800 K for x ≥ 0.6. The ultra-low κlat of 0.30 Wm−1K−1 and the high peak ZT ∼ 0.9 at around 750 K were realized for cubic AgBiSe2−2xSxTex without carrier tuning. In addition, the average ZT value of x = 0.6 and 0.7 for the temperature range of 360–750 K increased to 0.38 and 0.40, respectively, which are comparable to the highest previously reported values.

Defect Engineering Realizes Superior Thermoelectric Performance of GeTe

AbstractGeTe has been considered as a promising mid‐temperature thermoelectric (TE) candidate, but its zT value is severely limited by the excessive hole concentration and high thermal conductivity. Here, it is demonstrated that the TE properties of GeTe can be significantly improve by defect engineering of Sb‐Pb and AgCuTe codoping. The Sb‐Pb codoping is adopted to optimize the carrier concentration and manipulate the rhombohedral lattice distortion, leading to valence band convergence and enhanced power factor. The AgCuTe alloying introduces multiscale phonon scattering centers including dislocations and nano‐precipitates to reduce the lattice thermal conductivity in GeTe. Consequently, a maximum zT of 2.3 at 773 K and an average zT of 1.43 (300–773 K) are obtained in (Ge0.84Sb0.06Pb0.1Te)0.99(AgCuTe)0.01. Moreover, the fabricated thermoelectric module exhibits a high output power density of 0.59 W cm–2 and an energy conversion efficiency of 7.9% at ΔT = 500 K, suggesting hierarchical defect engineering is an effective strategy to realize high‐performance GeTe‐based thermoelectric.