Bismuth telluride nanotubes and the effects on the thermoelectric properties of nanotube-containing nanocomposites

Nanotubes of quasilayered bismuth telluride compound were prepared by hydrothermal synthesis. Nanotubes have diameters smaller than 100 nm and spiral tube-walls. The low-dimensional morphology and hollow structure enable bismuth telluride nanotubes to be a potential thermoelectric material with a high figure of merit due to the efficient phonon blocking effect. The experimental results show that the addition of nanotubes leads to a remarkable decrease in the thermal conductivity with the electrical conductivity much less affected and thus to an increase in the figure of merit of the Bi2Te3-based material. (C) 2005 American Institute of Physics.