Journal
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
Volume 31, Issue 5, Pages -Publisher
WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH
DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202007340
Keywords
coherent interface; core-shell structure; energy filtering; n-type PbTe; strain contrast; thermoelectrics
Categories
Funding
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [51572163, 51577111, 51872177]
- Key Laboratory for Macromolecular Science of Shaanxi Province
- Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province [2015A030308001]
- Science and Technology Innovation Committee Foundation of Shenzhen [KQTD2016022619565991]
- leading talents of Guangdong Province Program [00201517]
- Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities [GK201802007, GK202002014, 2018CBLZ007]
- Science and Technology Play Project in Xi'an [2020KJRC0014]
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The introduction of Sb and Cu2Te into an n-type base material (PbTe)(81)-Sb2Te3 effectively tunes the electron concentration and enhances the overall Seebeck coefficient. The co-precipitation of Sb and Cu2Te forms an interesting Sb/CuTe core/shell structure, showing interface characteristics beneficial for electron transport but adverse to phonon transport. The peak ZT(max) of approximately 1.6 @ 823K and averageZT of approximately 1.0 (323-823 K) are achieved in the (PbTe)(81)Sb2Te3-0.6Sb-2Cu(2)Te sample, representing the current state of the art for n-type PbTe-based thermoelectric materials.
The exploration of n-type PbTe as thermoelectric materials always falls behind its p-type counterpart, mainly due to their quite different electronic band structure. In this work, elemental Sb and Cu2Te are introduced into an n-type base material (PbTe)(81)-Sb2Te3. The introduction of extra Sb can effectively tune the concentration of electrons; meanwhile, Sb precipitates can also scatter low-energy electrons (negatively contribute to the Seebeck coefficient) thus enhance the overall Seebeck coefficient. The added Cu2Te is found to always co-precipitate with Sb, forming an interesting Sb/CuTe core/shell structure; moreover, the interface between core/shell precipitates and PbTe matrix simultaneously shows coherent lattice and strong strain contrast, beneficial for electron transport but adverse to phonon transport. Eventually, a peak figure of meritZT(max) approximate to 1.6 @ 823K and simultaneously an averageZT approximate to 1.0 (323-823 K) are realized in the (PbTe)(81)Sb2Te3-0.6Sb-2Cu(2)Te sample, representing the state of the art for n-type PbTe-based thermoelectric materials. Moreover, for the first time the three existing forms of Cu atoms in Cu2Te alloyed PbTe are unambiguously clarified with aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (C-s-STEM).
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