Ag9TITe5:: A high-performance thermoelectric bulk material with extremely low thermal conductivity -: art. no. 061919

We studied a high-performance thermoelectric material whose chemical formula is Ag9TlTe5. Ag9TlTe5 is simple and easy to prepare. Its highest dimensionless figure of merit (ZT) value is 1.23, obtained at 700 K. The values of individual thermoelectric properties at 700 K are 2.63x10(-4) Omega m for electrical resistivity, 319 mu V K-1 for Seebeck coefficient, and 0.22 W m(-1) K-1 for thermal conductivity. Ag9TlTe5 is a unique material combining extremely low thermal conductivity and relatively low electrical resistivity. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics.