1
|
Zhong J, Yang X, Lyu T, Liang G, Zhang S, Zhang C, Ao W, Liu F, Nan P, Ge B, Hu L. Nuanced dilute doping strategy enables high-performance GeTe thermoelectrics. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2024; 69:1037-1049. [PMID: 38431467 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2024.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
In thermoelectrics, doping is essential to augment the figure of merit. Traditional strategy, predominantly heavy doping, aims to optimize carrier concentration and restrain lattice thermal conductivity. However, this tactic can severely hamper carrier transport due to pronounced point defect scattering, particularly in materials with inherently low carrier mean-free-path. Conversely, dilute doping, although minimally affecting carrier mobility, frequently fails to optimize other vital thermoelectric parameters. Herein, we present a more nuanced dilute doping strategy in GeTe, leveraging the multifaceted roles of small-size metal atoms. A mere 4% CuPbSbTe3 introduction into GeTe swiftly suppresses rhombohedral distortion and optimizes carrier concentration through the aid of Cu interstitials. Additionally, the formation of multiscale microstructures, including zero-dimensional Cu interstitials, one-dimensional dislocations, two-dimensional planar defects, and three-dimensional nanoscale amorphous GeO2 and Cu2GeTe3 precipitates, along with the ensuing lattice softening, contributes to an ultralow lattice thermal conductivity. Intriguingly, dilute CuPbSbTe3 doping incurs only a marginal decrease in carrier mobility. Subsequent trace Cd doping, employed to alleviate the bipolar effect and align the valence bands, yields an impressive figure-of-merit of 2.03 at 623 K in (Ge0.97Cd0.03Te)0.96(CuPbSbTe3)0.04. This leads to a high energy-conversion efficiency of 7.9% and a significant power density of 3.44 W cm-2 at a temperature difference of 500 K. These results underscore the invaluable insights gained into the constructive role of nuanced dilute doping in the concurrent tuning of carrier and phonon transport in GeTe and other thermoelectric materials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jinxuan Zhong
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Special Functional Materials, Guangdong Research Center for Interfacial Engineering of Functional Materials, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Deep Earth Sciences and Geothermal Energy Exploitation and Utilization, Institute of Deep Earth Sciences and Green Energy, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Xiaoyu Yang
- Information Materials and Intelligent Sensing Laboratory of Anhui Province, Key Laboratory of Structure and Functional Regulation of Hybrid Materials of Ministry of Education, Institutes of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Tu Lyu
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Special Functional Materials, Guangdong Research Center for Interfacial Engineering of Functional Materials, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Deep Earth Sciences and Geothermal Energy Exploitation and Utilization, Institute of Deep Earth Sciences and Green Energy, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Gege Liang
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Special Functional Materials, Guangdong Research Center for Interfacial Engineering of Functional Materials, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Deep Earth Sciences and Geothermal Energy Exploitation and Utilization, Institute of Deep Earth Sciences and Green Energy, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Shengnan Zhang
- Superconducting Materials Research Center, Northwest Institute for Nonferrous Metal Research, Xi'an 710016, China
| | - Chaohua Zhang
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Special Functional Materials, Guangdong Research Center for Interfacial Engineering of Functional Materials, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Deep Earth Sciences and Geothermal Energy Exploitation and Utilization, Institute of Deep Earth Sciences and Green Energy, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Weiqin Ao
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Special Functional Materials, Guangdong Research Center for Interfacial Engineering of Functional Materials, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Deep Earth Sciences and Geothermal Energy Exploitation and Utilization, Institute of Deep Earth Sciences and Green Energy, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Fusheng Liu
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Special Functional Materials, Guangdong Research Center for Interfacial Engineering of Functional Materials, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Deep Earth Sciences and Geothermal Energy Exploitation and Utilization, Institute of Deep Earth Sciences and Green Energy, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Pengfei Nan
- Information Materials and Intelligent Sensing Laboratory of Anhui Province, Key Laboratory of Structure and Functional Regulation of Hybrid Materials of Ministry of Education, Institutes of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China.
| | - Binghui Ge
- Information Materials and Intelligent Sensing Laboratory of Anhui Province, Key Laboratory of Structure and Functional Regulation of Hybrid Materials of Ministry of Education, Institutes of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Lipeng Hu
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Special Functional Materials, Guangdong Research Center for Interfacial Engineering of Functional Materials, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Deep Earth Sciences and Geothermal Energy Exploitation and Utilization, Institute of Deep Earth Sciences and Green Energy, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Cravero R, Tlili A, Paterson J, Tomelleri M, Marcello P, Debord R, Pailhès S, Bourgeois O, Hippert F, Le Qui D, Raty JY, Noe P, Giordano VM. Glass-Like Phonon Dynamics and Thermal Transport in a GeTe Nano-Composite at Low Temperature. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024:e2310209. [PMID: 38634392 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202310209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
In this work, the experimental evidence of glass-like phonon dynamics and thermal conductivity in a nanocomposite made of GeTe and amorphous carbon is reported, which is of interest for microelectronics, and specifically phase change memories. It is shown that, the total thermal conductivity is reduced by a factor of three at room temperature with respect to pure GeTe, due to the reduction of both electronic and phononic contributions. This latter, similarly to glasses, is small and weakly increasing with temperature between 100 and 300 K, indicating a mostly diffusive thermal transport and reaching a value of 0.86(7) Wm-1K-1 at room temperature. A thorough investigation of the nanocomposite's phonon dynamics reveals the appearance of an excess intensity in the low energy vibrational density of states, reminiscent of the Boson peak in glasses. These features can be understood in terms of an enhanced phonon scattering at the interfaces, due to the presence of elastic heterogeneities, at wavelengths in the 2-20 nm range. The findings confirm recent simulation results on crystalline/amorphous nanocomposites and open new perspectives in phonon and thermal engineering through the direct manipulation of elastic heterogeneities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R Cravero
- Institute of Light and Matter, UMR5306 Université Lyon 1-CNRS, Université de Lyon, Villeurbanne cedex, F-69622, France
- Institut NEEL, CNRS, Université Grenoble Alpes, 25 avenue des Martyrs, Grenoble, F-38042, France
| | - A Tlili
- Institute of Light and Matter, UMR5306 Université Lyon 1-CNRS, Université de Lyon, Villeurbanne cedex, F-69622, France
| | - J Paterson
- CEA, LETI, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, 38000, France
| | - M Tomelleri
- CEA, LETI, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, 38000, France
| | - P Marcello
- Institute of Light and Matter, UMR5306 Université Lyon 1-CNRS, Université de Lyon, Villeurbanne cedex, F-69622, France
| | - R Debord
- Institute of Light and Matter, UMR5306 Université Lyon 1-CNRS, Université de Lyon, Villeurbanne cedex, F-69622, France
| | - S Pailhès
- Institute of Light and Matter, UMR5306 Université Lyon 1-CNRS, Université de Lyon, Villeurbanne cedex, F-69622, France
| | - O Bourgeois
- Institut NEEL, CNRS, Université Grenoble Alpes, 25 avenue des Martyrs, Grenoble, F-38042, France
| | - F Hippert
- CNRS, Grenoble INP, LMGP, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, F-38000, France
| | - D Le Qui
- FNRS and CESAM, Université de Liége, Sart-Tilman, 4000, Belgique
| | - J-Y Raty
- FNRS and CESAM, Université de Liége, Sart-Tilman, 4000, Belgique
| | - P Noe
- CEA, LETI, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, 38000, France
| | - V M Giordano
- Institute of Light and Matter, UMR5306 Université Lyon 1-CNRS, Université de Lyon, Villeurbanne cedex, F-69622, France
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Li NH, Zhang Q, Shi XL, Jiang J, Chen ZG. Silver Copper Chalcogenide Thermoelectrics: Advance, Controversy, and Perspective. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024:e2313146. [PMID: 38608290 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202313146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Thermoelectric technology, which enables a direct and pollution-free conversion of heat into electricity, provides a promising path to address the current global energy crisis. Among the broad range of thermoelectric materials, silver copper chalcogenides (AgCuQ, Q = S, Se, Te) have garnered significant attention in thermoelectric community in light of inherently ultralow lattice thermal conductivity, controllable electronic transport properties, excellent thermoelectric performance across various temperature ranges, and a degree of ductility. This review epitomizes the recent progress in AgCuQ-based thermoelectric materials, from the optimization of thermoelectric performance to the rational design of devices, encompassing the fundamental understanding of crystal structures, electronic band structures, mechanical properties, and quasi-liquid behaviors. The correlation between chemical composition, mechanical properties, and thermoelectric performance in this material system is also highlighted. Finally, several key issues and prospects are proposed for further optimizing AgCuQ-based thermoelectric materials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nan-Hai Li
- School of Chemistry and Physics, ARC Research Hub in Zero-Emission Power Generation for Carbon Neutrality, and Centre for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, 4000, Australia
| | - Qiang Zhang
- Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Xiao-Lei Shi
- School of Chemistry and Physics, ARC Research Hub in Zero-Emission Power Generation for Carbon Neutrality, and Centre for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, 4000, Australia
| | - Jun Jiang
- Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Zhi-Gang Chen
- School of Chemistry and Physics, ARC Research Hub in Zero-Emission Power Generation for Carbon Neutrality, and Centre for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, 4000, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Lin PS, Lin JM, Tung SH, Higashihara T, Liu CL. Synergistic Interactions in Sequential Process Doping of Polymer/Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Nanocomposites for Enhanced n-Type Thermoelectric Performance. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2306166. [PMID: 37847895 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202306166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
This study focuses on the fabrication of nanocomposite thermoelectric devices by blending either a naphthalene-diimide (NDI)-based conjugated polymer (NDI-T1 or NDI-T2), or an isoindigo (IID)-based conjugated polymer (IID-T2), with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). This is followed by sequential process doping method with the small molecule 4-(2,3-dihydro-1,3-dimethyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)-N,N-dimethylbenzenamine (N-DMBI) to provide the nanocomposite with n-type thermoelectric properties. Experiments in which the concentrations of the N-DMBI dopant are varied demonstrate the successful conversion of all three polymer/SWCNT nanocomposites from p-type to n-type behavior. Comprehensive spectroscopic, microstructural, and morphological analyses of the pristine polymers and the various N-DMBI-doped polymer/SWCNT nanocomposites are performed in order to gain insights into the effects of various interactions between the polymers and SWCNTs on the doping outcomes. Among the obtained nanocomposites, the NDI-T1/SWCNT exhibits the highest n-type Seebeck coefficient and power factor of -57.7 µV K-1 and 240.6 µW m-1 K-2 , respectively. However, because the undoped NDI-T2/SWCNT exhibits a slightly higher p-type performance, an integral p-n thermoelectric generator is fabricated using the doped and undoped NDI-T2/SWCNT nanocomposite. This device is shown to provide an output power of 27.2 nW at a temperature difference of 20 K.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Po-Shen Lin
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Jhih-Min Lin
- National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu, 30076, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Huang Tung
- Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Tomoya Higashihara
- Department of Organic Materials Science, Graduate School of Organic Materials Science, Yamagata University, 4-3-16 Jonan, Yonezawa, Yamagata, 992-8510, Japan
| | - Cheng-Liang Liu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
- Advanced Research Center for Green Materials Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Wang DZ, Liu WD, Mao Y, Li S, Yin LC, Wu H, Li M, Wang Y, Shi XL, Yang X, Liu Q, Chen ZG. Decoupling Carrier-Phonon Scattering Boosts the Thermoelectric Performance of n-Type GeTe-Based Materials. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:1681-1689. [PMID: 38178655 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c12546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
The coupled relationship between carrier and phonon scattering severely limits the thermoelectric performance of n-type GeTe materials. Here, we provide an efficient strategy to enlarge grains and induce vacancy clusters for decoupling carrier-phonon scattering through the annealing optimization of n-type GeTe-based materials. Specifically, boundary migration is used to enlarge grains by optimizing the annealing time, while vacancy clusters are induced through the aggregation of Ge vacancies during annealing. Such enlarged grains can weaken carrier scattering, while vacancy clusters can strengthen phonon scattering, leading to decoupled carrier-phonon scattering. As a result, a ratio between carrier mobility and lattice thermal conductivity of ∼492.8 cm3 V-1 s-1 W-1 K and a peak ZT of ∼0.4 at 473 K are achieved in Ge0.67Pb0.13Bi0.2Te. This work reveals the critical roles of enlarged grains and induced vacancy clusters in decoupling carrier-phonon scattering and demonstrates the viability of fabricating high-performance n-type GeTe materials via annealing optimization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- De-Zhuang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Wei-Di Liu
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
- School of Chemistry and Physics and Centre for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4000, Australia
| | - Yuanqing Mao
- School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
- Department of Physics and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Computational Science and Material Design, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Shuai Li
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Liang-Cao Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Hao Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Meng Li
- School of Chemistry and Physics and Centre for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4000, Australia
| | - Yifeng Wang
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Xiao-Lei Shi
- School of Chemistry and Physics and Centre for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4000, Australia
| | - Xiaoning Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Qingfeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Zhi-Gang Chen
- School of Chemistry and Physics and Centre for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4000, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Yu L, Shi XL, Mao Y, Liu WD, Ji Z, Wei S, Zhang Z, Song W, Zheng S, Chen ZG. Simultaneously Boosting Thermoelectric and Mechanical Properties of n-Type Mg 3Sb 1.5Bi 0.5-Based Zintls through Energy-Band and Defect Engineering. ACS NANO 2024; 18:1678-1689. [PMID: 38164927 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c09926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Incorporating donor doping into Mg3Sb1.5Bi0.5 to achieve n-type conductivity is one of the crucial strategies for performance enhancement. In pursuit of higher thermoelectric performance, we herein report co-doping with Te and Y to optimize the thermoelectric properties of Mg3Sb1.5Bi0.5, achieving a peak ZT exceeding 1.7 at 703 K in Y0.01Mg3.19Sb1.5Bi0.47Te0.03. Guided by first-principles calculations for compositional design, we find that Te-doping shifts the Fermi level into the conduction band, resulting in n-type semiconductor behavior, while Y-doping further shifts the Fermi level into the conduction band and reduces the bandgap, leading to enhanced thermoelectric performance with a power factor as high as >20 μW cm-1 K-2. Additionally, through detailed micro/nanostructure characterizations, we discover that Te and Y co-doping induces dense crystal and lattice defects, including local lattice distortions and strains caused by point defects, and densely distributed grain boundaries between nanocrystalline domains. These defects efficiently scatter phonons of various wavelengths, resulting in a low thermal conductivity of 0.83 W m-1 K-1 and ultimately achieving a high ZT. Furthermore, the dense lattice defects induced by co-doping can further strengthen the mechanical performance, which is crucial for its service in devices. This work provides guidance for the composition and structure design of thermoelectric materials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lu Yu
- College of New Energy and Materials, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, 102249, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Lei Shi
- School of Chemistry and Physics, ARC Research Hub in Zero-emission Power Generation for Carbon Neutrality, and Centre for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
| | - Yuanqing Mao
- School of Chemistry and Physics, ARC Research Hub in Zero-emission Power Generation for Carbon Neutrality, and Centre for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
- School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
- Department of Physics and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Computational Science and Material Design, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei-Di Liu
- School of Chemistry and Physics, ARC Research Hub in Zero-emission Power Generation for Carbon Neutrality, and Centre for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
| | - Zhen Ji
- College of New Energy and Materials, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, 102249, People's Republic of China
| | - Sitong Wei
- College of New Energy and Materials, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, 102249, People's Republic of China
| | - Zipei Zhang
- College of New Energy and Materials, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, 102249, People's Republic of China
| | - Weiyu Song
- College of Science, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, 102249, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuqi Zheng
- College of New Energy and Materials, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, 102249, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Gang Chen
- School of Chemistry and Physics, ARC Research Hub in Zero-emission Power Generation for Carbon Neutrality, and Centre for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Wan S, Xiao S, Li M, Wang X, Lim KH, Hong M, Ibáñez M, Cabot A, Liu Y. Band Engineering Through Pb-Doping of Nanocrystal Building Blocks to Enhance Thermoelectric Performance in Cu 3 SbSe 4. SMALL METHODS 2023:e2301377. [PMID: 38152986 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202301377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Developing cost-effective and high-performance thermoelectric (TE) materials to assemble efficient TE devices presents a multitude of challenges and opportunities. Cu3 SbSe4 is a promising p-type TE material based on relatively earth abundant elements. However, the challenge lies in its poor electrical conductivity. Herein, an efficient and scalable solution-based approach is developed to synthesize high-quality Cu3 SbSe4 nanocrystals doped with Pb at the Sb site. After ligand displacement and annealing treatments, the dried powders are consolidated into dense pellets, and their TE properties are investigated. Pb doping effectively increases the charge carrier concentration, resulting in a significant increase in electrical conductivity, while the Seebeck coefficients remain consistently high. The calculated band structure shows that Pb doping induces band convergence, thereby increasing the effective mass. Furthermore, the large ionic radius of Pb2+ results in the generation of additional point and plane defects and interphases, dramatically enhancing phonon scattering, which significantly decreases the lattice thermal conductivity at high temperatures. Overall, a maximum figure of merit (zTmax ) ≈ 0.85 at 653 K is obtained in Cu3 Sb0.97 Pb0.03 Se4 . This represents a 1.6-fold increase compared to the undoped sample and exceeds most doped Cu3 SbSe4 -based materials produced by solid-state, demonstrating advantages of versatility and cost-effectiveness using a solution-based technology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shanhong Wan
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Reaction Engineering School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, P. R. China
| | - Shanshan Xiao
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Reaction Engineering School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, P. R. China
| | - Mingquan Li
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Reaction Engineering School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, P. R. China
| | - Xin Wang
- Center of Analysis and Test, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, P. R. China
| | - Khak Ho Lim
- Institute of Zhejiang University-Quzhou, 99 Zheda Rd, Quzhou, 324000, P. R. China
| | - Min Hong
- Centre for Future Materials, and School of Engineering, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield Central, Queensland, 4300, Australia
| | - Maria Ibáñez
- IST Austria, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria
| | - Andreu Cabot
- Catalonia Institute for Energy Research-IREC, Sant Adrià de Besòs, Barcelona, 08930, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats - ICREA, Barcelona, 08010, Spain
| | - Yu Liu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Reaction Engineering School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Sun Y, Guo F, Feng Y, Li C, Zou Y, Cheng J, Dong X, Wu H, Zhang Q, Liu W, Liu Z, Cai W, Ren Z, Sui J. Performance boost for bismuth telluride thermoelectric generator via barrier layer based on low Young's modulus and particle sliding. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8085. [PMID: 38057306 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43879-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The lack of desirable diffusion barrier layers currently prohibits the long-term stable service of bismuth telluride thermoelectric devices in low-grade waste heat recovery. Here we propose a new design principle of barrier layers beyond the thermal expansion matching criterion. A titanium barrier layer with loose structure is optimized, in which the low Young's modulus and particle sliding synergistically alleviates interfacial stress, while the TiTe2 reactant enables metallurgical bonding and ohmic contact between the barrier layer and the thermoelectric material, leading to a desirable interface characterized by high-thermostability, high-strength, and low-resistivity. Highly competitive conversion efficiency of 6.2% and power density of 0.51 W cm-2 are achieved for a module with leg length of 2 mm at the hot-side temperature of 523 K, and no degradation is observed following operation for 360 h, a record for stable service at this temperature, paving the way for its application in low-grade waste heat recovery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuxin Sun
- National Key Laboratory for Precision Hot Processing of Metals, Harbin Institute of Technology, 150001, Harbin, China
| | - Fengkai Guo
- National Key Laboratory for Precision Hot Processing of Metals, Harbin Institute of Technology, 150001, Harbin, China.
| | - Yan Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 710072, Xi'an, China
| | - Chun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding and Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, 150001, Harbin, China
| | - Yongchun Zou
- Center of Analysis Measurement and Computing, Harbin Institute of Technology, 150001, Harbin, China
| | - Jinxuan Cheng
- School of Materials Science and Engineering and Institute of Materials Genome & Big Data, Harbin Institute of Technology, 518055, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xingyan Dong
- National Key Laboratory for Precision Hot Processing of Metals, Harbin Institute of Technology, 150001, Harbin, China
| | - Hao Wu
- National Key Laboratory for Precision Hot Processing of Metals, Harbin Institute of Technology, 150001, Harbin, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering and Institute of Materials Genome & Big Data, Harbin Institute of Technology, 518055, Shenzhen, China
| | - Weishu Liu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, 518055, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zihang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding and Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, 150001, Harbin, China
| | - Wei Cai
- National Key Laboratory for Precision Hot Processing of Metals, Harbin Institute of Technology, 150001, Harbin, China
| | - Zhifeng Ren
- Department of Physics and Texas Center for Superconductivity at the University of Houston (TcSUH), University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204, USA.
| | - Jiehe Sui
- National Key Laboratory for Precision Hot Processing of Metals, Harbin Institute of Technology, 150001, Harbin, China.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Yao W, Zhang Y, Lyu T, Huang W, Huang N, Li X, Zhang C, Liu F, Wuttig M, Yu Y, Hong M, Hu L. Two-step phase manipulation by tailoring chemical bonds results in high-performance GeSe thermoelectrics. Innovation (N Y) 2023; 4:100522. [PMID: 37915362 PMCID: PMC10616397 DOI: 10.1016/j.xinn.2023.100522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
In thermoelectrics, phase engineering serves a crucial function in determining the power factor by affecting the band degeneracy. However, for low-symmetry compounds, the mainstream one-step phase manipulation strategy, depending solely on the valley or orbital degeneracy, is inadequate to attain a high density-of-states effective mass and exceptional zT. Here, we employ a distinctive two-step phase manipulation strategy through stepwise tailoring chemical bonds in GeSe. Initially, we amplify the valley degeneracy via CdTe alloying, which elevates the crystal symmetry from a covalently bonded orthorhombic to a metavalently bonded rhombohedral phase by significantly suppressing the Peierls distortion. Subsequently, we incorporate Pb to trigger the convergence of multivalence bands and further enhance the density-of-states effective mass by moderately restraining the Peierls distortion. Additionally, the atypical metavalent bonding in rhombohedral GeSe enables a high Ge vacancy concentration and a small band effective mass, leading to increased carrier concentration and mobility. This weak chemical bond along with strong lattice anharmonicity also reduces lattice thermal conductivity. Consequently, this unique property ensemble contributes to an outstanding zT of 0.9 at 773 K for Ge0.80Pb0.20Se(CdTe)0.25. This work underscores the pivotal role of the two-step phase manipulation by stepwise tailoring of chemical bonds in improving the thermoelectric performance of p-bonded chalcogenides.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenqing Yao
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Yihua Zhang
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Tu Lyu
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Weibo Huang
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Nuoxian Huang
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Xiang Li
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Chaohua Zhang
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Fusheng Liu
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Matthias Wuttig
- Institute of Physics (IA), RWTH Aachen University, Sommerfeldstraße 14, 52074 Aachen, Germany
- PGI 10 (Green IT), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Yuan Yu
- Institute of Physics (IA), RWTH Aachen University, Sommerfeldstraße 14, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Min Hong
- Center for Future Materials and School of Engineering, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield Central, QLD 4300, Australia
| | - Lipeng Hu
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Liu Z, Tian B, Li Y, Guo Z, Zhang Z, Luo Z, Zhao L, Lin Q, Lee C, Jiang Z. Evolution of Thermoelectric Generators: From Application to Hybridization. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2304599. [PMID: 37544920 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202304599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Considerable thermal energy is emitted into the environment from human activities and equipment operation in the course of daily production. Accordingly, the use of thermoelectric generators (TEGs) can attract wide interest, and it shows high potential in reducing energy waste and increasing energy recovery rates. Notably, TEGs have aroused rising attention and been significantly boosted over the past few years, as the energy crisis has worsened. The reason for their progress is that thermoelectric generators can be easily attached to the surface of a heat source, converting heat energy directly into electricity in a stable and continuous manner. In this review, applications in wearable devices, and everyday life are reviewed according to the type of structure of TEGs. Meanwhile, the latest progress of TEGs' hybridization with triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), piezoelectric nanogenerator (PENG), and photovoltaic effect is introduced. Moreover, prospects and suggestions for subsequent research work are proposed. This review suggests that hybridization of energy harvesting, and flexible high-temperature thermoelectric generators are the future trends.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhaojun Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, Singapore, 117576, Singapore
| | - Bian Tian
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
- Shandong Province, Yantai City, Shandong Laboratory of Yantai Advanced Materials and Green Manufacturing, Yantai, 265503, China
| | - Yao Li
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Zijun Guo
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Zhongkai Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Zhifang Luo
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, Singapore, 117576, Singapore
- School of Information Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Libo Zhao
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Qijing Lin
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Chengkuo Lee
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, Singapore, 117576, Singapore
| | - Zhuangde Jiang
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Zhang T, Qi N, Su X, Tang X, Chen Z. Vacancy Suppression Induced Synergetic Optimization of Thermoelectric Performance in Sb-Doped GeTe Evidenced by Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:40665-40675. [PMID: 37585556 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c08779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Synergetic optimization of the electrical and thermal transport performance of GeTe has been achieved through Sb doping in this work, resulting in a high thermoelectric figure of merit ZT of 2.2 at 723 K. Positron annihilation measurements provided clear evidence that Sb doping in GeTe can effectively suppress the Ge vacancies, and the decrease of vacancy concentration coincides well with the change of hole carrier concentration after Sb doping. The decreased scattering by hole carriers and vacancies causes notable increase in carrier mobility. Despite this, the density of states effective mass is not enhanced by Sb doping, a maximum power factor of 4562 μW m-1 K-2 at 723 K is obtained for Ge0.94Sb0.06Te with an optimized carrier concentration of ∼3.65 × 1020 cm-3. Meanwhile, the electronic thermal conductivity κe is reduced because of the decreased electrical conductivity σ with the increase of the Sb doping amount. In addition, the lattice thermal conductivity κL is also suppressed due to multiple phonon scattering mechanism, such as the large mass and strain fluctuations by the substitution of Sb for Ge atoms, and also the unique microstructure including grain boundary, nano-pore, and dislocation in the samples. In conclusion, a maximum ZT of 2.2 is gained at 723 K, which contributes to preferable TE property for GeTe-based materials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tingdong Zhang
- Hubei Nuclear Solid Physics Key Laboratory, Department of Physics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Ning Qi
- Hubei Nuclear Solid Physics Key Laboratory, Department of Physics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Xianli Su
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Xinfeng Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Zhiquan Chen
- Hubei Nuclear Solid Physics Key Laboratory, Department of Physics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Zhang J, Xu H, Zheng Z, Wang C, Li X, Li F, Fan P, Chen YX. Effects of Si Substrates with Variable Initial Orientations on the Growth and Thermoelectric Properties of Bi-Sb-Te Thin Films. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:257. [PMID: 36678010 PMCID: PMC9867454 DOI: 10.3390/nano13020257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
For thermoelectric thin film, the substrate plays an important role during the growing process and produces effects on its thermoelectric properties. Some special kinds of substrates provide an optimal combination of influences on both the structure and thermoelectric properties. In this work, Bi-Sb-Te films are deposited on Si substrates with different initial orientations by magnetron sputtering in two ways: with and without a pre-coating process. The preferred orientations of the Bi-Sb-Te films are greatly affected by the substrates, in which the thin film tends to deposit on Si substrate with (100) initial orientation and high (015)-texture, while the (00l)-textured Bi-Sb-Te film easily deposits on Si substrate with (110) initial orientation. The experimental and theoretical calculation results indicate that Bi-Sb-Te film with (00l)-texture presents good electrical conductivity and a higher power factor than that of film with (015)-texture.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Junze Zhang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Advanced Thin Films and Applications, Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Hanwen Xu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Advanced Thin Films and Applications, Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Zhuanghao Zheng
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Advanced Thin Films and Applications, Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Cong Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Low Dimensional Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang 441053, China
| | - Xinru Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Advanced Thin Films and Applications, Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Fu Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Advanced Thin Films and Applications, Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Ping Fan
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Advanced Thin Films and Applications, Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Yue-Xing Chen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Advanced Thin Films and Applications, Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| |
Collapse
|