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Fiedler C, Calcabrini M, Liu Y, Ibáñez M. Unveiling Crucial Chemical Processing Parameters Influencing the Performance of Solution-Processed Inorganic Thermoelectric Materials. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202402628. [PMID: 38623865 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202402628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Production of thermoelectric materials from solution-processed particles involves the synthesis of particles, their purification and densification into pelletized material. Chemical changes that occur during each one of these steps render them performance determining. Particularly the purification steps, bypassed in conventional solid-state synthesis, are the cause for large discrepancies among similar solution-processed materials. In present work, the investigation focuses on a water-based surfactant free solution synthesis of SnSe, a highly relevant thermoelectric material. We show and rationalize that the number of leaching steps, purification solvent, annealing, and annealing atmosphere have significant influence on the Sn : Se ratio and impurity content in the powder. Such compositional changes that are undetectable by conventional characterization techniques lead to distinct consolidated materials with different types and concentration of defects. Additionally, the profound effect on their transport properties is demonstrated. We emphasize that understanding the chemistry and identifying key chemical species and their role throughout the process is paramount for optimizing material performance. Furthermore, we aim to demonstrate the necessity of comprehensive reporting of these steps as a standard practice to ensure material reproducibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Fiedler
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Mariano Calcabrini
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Yu Liu
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400, Klosterneuburg, Austria
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, 230009, Hefei, China
| | - Maria Ibáñez
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400, Klosterneuburg, Austria
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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.
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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
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