1
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Li JW, Han Z, Yu J, Zhuang HL, Hu H, Su B, Li H, Jiang Y, Chen L, Liu W, Zheng Q, Li JF. Wide-temperature-range thermoelectric n-type Mg 3(Sb,Bi) 2 with high average and peak zT values. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7428. [PMID: 37973881 PMCID: PMC10654674 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43228-9] [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: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Mg3(Sb,Bi)2 is a promising thermoelectric material suited for electronic cooling, but there is still room to optimize its low-temperature performance. This work realizes >200% enhancement in room-temperature zT by incorporating metallic inclusions (Nb or Ta) into the Mg3(Sb,Bi)2-based matrix. The electrical conductivity is boosted in the range of 300-450 K, whereas the corresponding Seebeck coefficients remain unchanged, leading to an exceptionally high room-temperature power factor >30 μW cm-1 K-2; such an unusual effect originates mainly from the modified interfacial barriers. The reduced interfacial barriers are conducive to carrier transport at low and high temperatures. Furthermore, benefiting from the reduced lattice thermal conductivity, a record-high average zT > 1.5 and a maximum zT of 2.04 at 798 K are achieved, resulting in a high thermoelectric conversion efficiency of 15%. This work demonstrates an efficient nanocomposite strategy to enhance the wide-temperature-range thermoelectric performance of n-type Mg3(Sb,Bi)2, broadening their potential for practical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Wei Li
- State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Zhijia Han
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Jincheng Yu
- State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Hua-Lu Zhuang
- State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Haihua Hu
- State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Bin Su
- State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Hezhang Li
- State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Yilin Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Lu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Weishu Liu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Qiang Zheng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Standardization and Measurement for Nanotechnology, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Centre for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Jing-Feng Li
- State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
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2
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Peng Q, Yuan X, Zhao S, Chen XJ. Lattice Thermal Conductivity of Mg 3(Bi,Sb) 2 Nanocomposites: A First-Principles Study. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:2938. [PMID: 37999293 PMCID: PMC10675190 DOI: 10.3390/nano13222938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Mg3(BixSb1-x)2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) nanocomposites are a highly appealing class of thermoelectric materials that hold great potential for solid-state cooling applications. Tuning of the lattice thermal conductivity is crucial for improving the thermoelectric properties of these materials. Hereby, we investigated the lattice thermal conductivity of Mg3(BixSb1-x)2 nanocomposites with varying Bi content (x = 0.0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0) using first-principles calculations. This study reveals that the lattice thermal conductivity follows a classical inverse temperature-dependent relationship. There is a significant decrease in the lattice thermal conductivity when the Bi content increases from 0 to 0.25 or decreases from 1.0 to 0.75 at 300 K. In contrast, when the Bi content increases from 0.25 to 0.75, the lattice thermal conductivity experiences a gradual decrease and reaches a plateau. For the nanohybrids (x = 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75), the distribution patterns of the phonon group velocity and phonon lifetime are similar, with consistent distribution intervals. Consequently, the change in lattice thermal conductivity is not pronounced. However, the phonon group speed and phonon lifetime are generally lower compared to those of the pristine components with x = 0 and x = 1.0. Our results suggest that the lattice thermal conductivity is sensitive to impurities but not to concentrations. This research provides valuable theoretical insights for adjusting the lattice thermal conductivity of Mg3(BixSb1-x)2 nanocomposites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Peng
- School of Science, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
- The State Key Laboratory of Nonlinear Mechanics, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- Guangdong Aerospace Research Academy, Guangzhou 511458, China
| | - Xiaoze Yuan
- The State Key Laboratory of Nonlinear Mechanics, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Shuai Zhao
- The State Key Laboratory of Nonlinear Mechanics, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- Department of Modern Mechanics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Xiao-Jia Chen
- School of Science, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
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3
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Wu X, Ma X, Yao H, Liang K, Zhao P, Hou S, Yin L, Yang H, Sui J, Lin X, Cao F, Zhang Q, Mao J. Revealing the Chemical Instability of Mg 3Sb 2-xBi x-Based Thermoelectric Materials. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:50216-50224. [PMID: 37862682 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c12290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
n-Type Mg3Sb2-xBix alloys have been regarded as promising thermoelectric materials due to their excellent performance and low cost. For practical applications, the thermoelectric performance is not the only factor that should be taken into consideration. In addition, the chemical and thermal stabilities of the thermoelectric material are of equal importance for the module design. Previous studies reported that the Mg3Sb2-xBix alloys were unstable in an ambient environment. In this work, we found that Mg3Sb2-xBix alloys reacted with H2O and O2 at room temperature and formed amorphous Mg(OH)2/MgO and crystalline Bi/Sb. The substantial loss of Mg resulted in a significant deterioration in thermoelectric properties, accompanied by the transition from n-type to p-type. With the increase in Bi content, the chemical stability decreased due to the higher formation energy of Mg3Bi2. A chemically stable Mg3Bi2 sample was achieved by coating it with polydimethylsiloxane to isolate H2O and O2 in the air.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaotong Wu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Institute of Materials Genome & Big Data, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, P.R. China
| | - Xiaojing Ma
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Institute of Materials Genome & Big Data, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, P.R. China
| | - Honghao Yao
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Institute of Materials Genome & Big Data, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, P.R. China
| | - Kun Liang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Institute of Materials Genome & Big Data, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, P.R. China
| | - Peng Zhao
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Institute of Materials Genome & Big Data, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, P.R. China
| | - Shuaihang Hou
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Institute of Materials Genome & Big Data, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, P.R. China
| | - Li Yin
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Institute of Materials Genome & Big Data, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, P.R. China
| | - Hengyu Yang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Institute of Materials Genome & Big Data, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, P.R. China
| | - Jiehe Sui
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding and Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Xi Lin
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Institute of Materials Genome & Big Data, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, P.R. China
| | - Feng Cao
- School of Science, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, P.R. China
| | - Qian Zhang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Institute of Materials Genome & Big Data, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, P.R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding and Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Jun Mao
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Institute of Materials Genome & Big Data, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, P.R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding and Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
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4
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Chen N, Zhu H, Li G, Fan Z, Zhang X, Yang J, Lu T, Liu Q, Wu X, Yao Y, Shi Y, Zhao H. Improved figure of merit (z) at low temperatures for superior thermoelectric cooling in Mg 3(Bi,Sb) 2. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4932. [PMID: 37582957 PMCID: PMC10427716 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40648-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The low-temperature thermoelectric performance of Bi-rich n-type Mg3(Bi,Sb)2 was limited by the electron transport scattering at grain boundaries, while removing grain boundaries and bulk crystal growth of Mg-based Zintl phases are challenging due to the volatilities of elemental reactants and their severe corrosions to crucibles at elevated temperatures. Herein, for the first time, we reported a facile growth of coarse-grained Mg3Bi2-xSbx crystals with an average grain size of ~800 μm, leading to a high carrier mobility of 210 cm2 · V-1 · s-1 and a high z of 2.9 × 10-3 K-1 at 300 K. A [Formula: see text]T of 68 K at Th of 300 K, and a power generation efficiency of 5.8% below 450 K have been demonstrated for Mg3Bi1.5Sb0.5- and Mg3Bi1.25Sb0.75-based thermoelectric modules, respectively, which represent the cutting-edge advances in the near-room temperature thermoelectrics. In addition, the developed grain growth approach can be potentially extended to broad Zintl phases and other Mg-based alloys and compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Chen
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- College of Materials Science and Opto-Electronic Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Hangtian Zhu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
| | - Guodong Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Zhen Fan
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Xiaofan Zhang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- College of Materials Science and Opto-Electronic Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jiawei Yang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- College of Materials Science and Opto-Electronic Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Tianbo Lu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Qiulin Liu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- College of Materials Science and Opto-Electronic Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiaowei Wu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- College of Materials Science and Opto-Electronic Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yuan Yao
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Youguo Shi
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Huaizhou Zhao
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
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5
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Shu R, Han Z, Elsukova A, Zhu Y, Qin P, Jiang F, Lu J, Persson POÅ, Palisaitis J, le Febvrier A, Zhang W, Cojocaru‐Mirédin O, Yu Y, Eklund P, Liu W. Solid-State Janus Nanoprecipitation Enables Amorphous-Like Heat Conduction in Crystalline Mg 3 Sb 2 -Based Thermoelectric Materials. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:e2202594. [PMID: 35851767 PMCID: PMC9443448 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202202594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Solid-state precipitation can be used to tailor material properties, ranging from ferromagnets and catalysts to mechanical strengthening and energy storage. Thermoelectric properties can be modified by precipitation to enhance phonon scattering while retaining charge-carrier transmission. Here, unconventional Janus-type nanoprecipitates are uncovered in Mg3 Sb1.5 Bi0.5 formed by side-by-side Bi- and Ge-rich appendages, in contrast to separate nanoprecipitate formation. These Janus nanoprecipitates result from local comelting of Bi and Ge during sintering, enabling an amorphous-like lattice thermal conductivity. A precipitate size effect on phonon scattering is observed due to the balance between alloy-disorder and nanoprecipitate scattering. The thermoelectric figure-of-merit ZT reaches 0.6 near room temperature and 1.6 at 773 K. The Janus nanoprecipitation can be introduced into other materials and may act as a general property-tailoring mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Shu
- Department of Materials Science and EngineeringSouthern University of Science and TechnologyShenzhen518055China
- Thin Film Physics DivisionDepartment of Physics Chemistryand Biology (IFM)Linköping UniversityLinköpingSE‐581 83Sweden
| | - Zhijia Han
- Department of Materials Science and EngineeringSouthern University of Science and TechnologyShenzhen518055China
| | - Anna Elsukova
- Thin Film Physics DivisionDepartment of Physics Chemistryand Biology (IFM)Linköping UniversityLinköpingSE‐581 83Sweden
| | - Yongbin Zhu
- Department of Materials Science and EngineeringSouthern University of Science and TechnologyShenzhen518055China
| | - Peng Qin
- Department of Materials Science and EngineeringSouthern University of Science and TechnologyShenzhen518055China
| | - Feng Jiang
- Department of Materials Science and EngineeringSouthern University of Science and TechnologyShenzhen518055China
| | - Jun Lu
- Thin Film Physics DivisionDepartment of Physics Chemistryand Biology (IFM)Linköping UniversityLinköpingSE‐581 83Sweden
| | - Per O. Å. Persson
- Thin Film Physics DivisionDepartment of Physics Chemistryand Biology (IFM)Linköping UniversityLinköpingSE‐581 83Sweden
| | - Justinas Palisaitis
- Thin Film Physics DivisionDepartment of Physics Chemistryand Biology (IFM)Linköping UniversityLinköpingSE‐581 83Sweden
| | - Arnaud le Febvrier
- Thin Film Physics DivisionDepartment of Physics Chemistryand Biology (IFM)Linköping UniversityLinköpingSE‐581 83Sweden
| | - Wenqing Zhang
- Department of PhysicsSouthern University of Science and TechnologyShenzhen518055China
| | - Oana Cojocaru‐Mirédin
- I. Physikalisches Institut (IA)RWTH Aachen UniversitySommerfeldstraße1452074AachenGermany
| | - Yuan Yu
- I. Physikalisches Institut (IA)RWTH Aachen UniversitySommerfeldstraße1452074AachenGermany
| | - Per Eklund
- Thin Film Physics DivisionDepartment of Physics Chemistryand Biology (IFM)Linköping UniversityLinköpingSE‐581 83Sweden
| | - Weishu Liu
- Department of Materials Science and EngineeringSouthern University of Science and TechnologyShenzhen518055China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Oxide Materials and DevicesSouthern University of Science and TechnologyShenzhenGuangdong518055China
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6
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Zheng JC. Asymmetrical Transport Distribution Function: Skewness as a Key to Enhance Thermoelectric Performance. Research (Wash D C) 2022. [DOI: 10.34133/2022/9867639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
How to achieve high thermoelectric figure of merit is still a scientific challenge. By solving the Boltzmann transport equation, thermoelectric properties can be written as integrals of a single function, the transport distribution function (TDF). In this work, the shape effects of transport distribution function in various typical functional forms on thermoelectric properties of materials are systematically investigated. It is found that the asymmetry of TDF, characterized by skewness, can be used to describe universally the trend of thermoelectric properties. By defining symmetric and asymmetric TDF functions, a novel skewness is then constructed for thermoelectric applications. It is demonstrated, by comparison with ab initio calculations and experiments, that the proposed thermoelectric skewness not only perfectly captures the main feature of conventional skewness but also is able to predict the thermoelectric power accurately. This comparison confirms the unique feature of our proposed thermoelectric skewness, as well as its special role of connection between the statistics of TDF and thermoelectric properties of materials. It is also found that the thermoelectric performance can be enhanced by increasing the asymmetry of TDF. Finally, it is also interesting to find that the thermoelectric transport properties based on typical quantum statistics (Fermi-Dirac distributions) can be well described by typical shape parameter (skewness) for classical statistics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Cheng Zheng
- Department of Physics, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
- Department of Physics and Department of New Energy Science and Engineering, Xiamen University Malaysia, Sepang 43900, Malaysia
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7
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Hu J, Zhu J, Guo F, Qin H, Liu Y, Zhang Q, Liu Z, Cai W, Sui J. Electronic Orbital Alignment and Hierarchical Phonon Scattering Enabling High Thermoelectric Performance p-Type Mg 3Sb 2 Zintl Compounds. RESEARCH 2022; 2022:9842949. [PMID: 35582692 PMCID: PMC9079362 DOI: 10.34133/2022/9842949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Environmentally friendly Mg3Sb2-based materials have drawn intensive attention owing to their promising thermoelectric performance. In this work, the electrical properties of p-type Mg3Sb2 are dramatically optimized by the regulation of Mg deficiency. Then, we, for the first time, found that Zn substitution at the Mg2 site leads to the alignment of px,y and pz orbital, resulting in a high band degeneracy and the dramatically enhanced Seebeck coefficient, demonstrated by the DFT calculations and electronic properties measurement. Moreover, Zn alloying decreases Mg1 (Zn) vacancies formation energy and in turn increases Mg (Zn) vacancies and optimizes the carrier concentration. Simultaneously, the Mg/Zn substitutions, Mg vacancies, and porosity structure suppress the phonon transport in a broader frequency range, leading to a low lattice thermal conductivity of ~0.47 W m-1 K-1 at 773 K. Finally, a high ZT of ~0.87 at 773 K was obtained for Mg1.95Na0.01Zn1Sb2, exceeding most of the previously reported p-type Mg3Sb2 compounds. Our results further demonstrate the promising prospects of p-type Mg3Sb2-based material in the field of mid-temperature heat recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinsuo Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding and Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Jianbo Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding and Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Fengkai Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding and Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Haixu Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding and Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Yijie Liu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Zihang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding and Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Wei Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding and Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Jiehe Sui
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding and Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
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8
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Liu K, Chen C, Li X, Jia J, Xia C, Mao J, Huang Q, Sui J, Cao F, Liu X, Chen Y, Zhang Q. Tuning the Carrier Scattering Mechanism by Rare-Earth Element Doping for High Average zT in Mg 3Sb 2-Based Compounds. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:7022-7029. [PMID: 35077126 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c23395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Mg3Sb2-based compounds are promising thermoelectric materials because of their excellent thermoelectric performance, low cost, and good mechanical properties. In this work, Er, Dy, Gd, and Nd are all confirmed to be effective n-type dopants for optimizing the carrier concentration, increasing the density of states effective mass, and suppressing the ionized impurity scattering of Mg3Sb2-based compounds. By increasing the sintering temperature, a larger grain size can be achieved and can effectively improve the carrier mobility in the whole measured temperature range. As a result, maximum zT values above ∼1.6 at 673 K and average zTs above ∼1.0 between 300 and 673 K were achieved for Mg3.07Er0.03Bi0.5Sb1.5, Mg3.07Dy0.03Bi0.5Sb1.5, and Mg3.07Nd0.03Bi0.5Sb1.5. In addition, a high compressive strength of ∼180 MPa was obtained in Mg3.07Dy0.03Bi0.5Sb1.5. Therefore, rare-earth element-doped Mg3Sb2-based compounds are promising for thermoelectric applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kejia Liu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, and Institute of Materials Genome & Big Data, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China
| | - Chen Chen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR 999077, P.R.China
- School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Zhongyuan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 451191, P.R.China
| | - Xiaofang Li
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, and Institute of Materials Genome & Big Data, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China
| | - Jucai Jia
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, and Institute of Materials Genome & Big Data, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China
| | - Chengliang Xia
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR 999077, P.R.China
| | - Jun Mao
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, and Institute of Materials Genome & Big Data, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding and Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, P. R. China
| | - Quan Huang
- School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Zhongyuan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 451191, P.R.China
| | - Jiehe Sui
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding and Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, P. R. China
| | - Feng Cao
- School of Science, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China
| | - Xingjun Liu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, and Institute of Materials Genome & Big Data, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding and Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, P. R. China
| | - Yue Chen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR 999077, P.R.China
| | - Qian Zhang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, and Institute of Materials Genome & Big Data, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding and Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, P. R. China
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9
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Fiber-Based Thermoelectric Materials and Devices for Wearable Electronics. MICROMACHINES 2021; 12:mi12080869. [PMID: 34442491 PMCID: PMC8399896 DOI: 10.3390/mi12080869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Fiber-based thermoelectric materials and devices have the characteristics of light-weight, stability, and flexibility, which can be used in wearable electronics, attracting the wide attention of researchers. In this work, we present a review of state-of-the-art fiber-based thermoelectric material fabrication, device assembling, and its potential applications in temperature sensing, thermoelectric generation, and temperature management. In this mini review, we also shine some light on the potential application in the next generation of wearable electronics, and discuss the challenges and opportunities.
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10
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Li A, Fu C, Zhao X, Zhu T. High-Performance Mg 3Sb 2-x Bi x Thermoelectrics: Progress and Perspective. RESEARCH 2020; 2020:1934848. [PMID: 33623901 PMCID: PMC7877388 DOI: 10.34133/2020/1934848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Since the first successful implementation of n-type doping, low-cost Mg3Sb2-x Bi x alloys have been rapidly developed as excellent thermoelectric materials in recent years. An average figure of merit zT above unity over the temperature range 300-700 K makes this new system become a promising alternative to the commercially used n-type Bi2Te3-x Se x alloys for either refrigeration or low-grade heat power generation near room temperature. In this review, with the structure-property-application relationship as the mainline, we first discuss how the crystallographic, electronic, and phononic structures lay the foundation of the high thermoelectric performance. Then, optimization strategies, including the physical aspects of band engineering with Sb/Bi alloying and carrier scattering mechanism with grain boundary modification and the chemical aspects of Mg defects and aliovalent doping, are extensively reviewed. Mainstream directions targeting the improvement of zT near room temperature are outlined. Finally, device applications and related engineering issues are discussed. We hope this review could help to promote the understanding and future developments of low-cost Mg3Sb2-x Bi x alloys for practical thermoelectric applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Airan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 310027 Hangzhou, China
| | - Chenguang Fu
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, Nöthnitzer Str. 40, 01187 Dresden, Germany
| | - Xinbing Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 310027 Hangzhou, China
| | - Tiejun Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 310027 Hangzhou, China
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Guo M, Guo F, Zhu J, Yin L, Zhang Q, Cai W, Sui J. Achieving High Thermoelectric Performance in Rare-Earth Element-Free CaMg 2Bi 2 with High Carrier Mobility and Ultralow Lattice Thermal Conductivity. RESEARCH 2020; 2020:5016564. [PMID: 32783029 PMCID: PMC7396126 DOI: 10.34133/2020/5016564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
CaMg2Bi2-based compounds, a kind of the representative compounds of Zintl phases, have uniquely inherent layered structure and hence are considered to be potential thermoelectric materials. Generally, alloying is a traditional and effective way to reduce the lattice thermal conductivity through the mass and strain field fluctuation between host and guest atoms. The cation sites have very few contributions to the band structure around the fermi level; thus, cation substitution may have negligible influence on the electric transport properties. What is more, widespread application of thermoelectric materials not only desires high ZT value but also calls for low-cost and environmentally benign constituent elements. Here, Ba substitution on cation site achieves a sharp reduction in lattice thermal conductivity through enhanced point defects scattering without the obvious sacrifice of high carrier mobility, and thus improves thermoelectric properties. Then, by combining further enhanced phonon scattering caused by isoelectronic substitution of Zn on the Mg site, an extraordinarily low lattice thermal conductivity of 0.51 W m−1 K−1 at 873 K is achieved in (Ca0.75Ba0.25)0.995Na0.005Mg1.95Zn0.05Bi1.98 alloy, approaching the amorphous limit. Such maintenance of high mobility and realization of ultralow lattice thermal conductivity synergistically result in broadly improvement of the quality factor β. Finally, a maximum ZT of 1.25 at 873 K and the corresponding ZTave up to 0.85 from 300 K to 873 K have been obtained for the same composition, meanwhile possessing temperature independent compatibility factor. To our knowledge, the current ZTave exceeds all the reported values in AMg2Bi2-based compounds so far. Furthermore, the low-cost and environment-friendly characteristic plus excellent thermoelectric performance also make the present Zintl phase CaMg2Bi2 more competitive in practical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muchun Guo
- National Key Laboratory for Precision Hot Processing of Metals, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Fengkai Guo
- National Key Laboratory for Precision Hot Processing of Metals, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Jianbo Zhu
- National Key Laboratory for Precision Hot Processing of Metals, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Li Yin
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Wei Cai
- National Key Laboratory for Precision Hot Processing of Metals, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Jiehe Sui
- National Key Laboratory for Precision Hot Processing of Metals, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
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