Effect of Ni doping on thermoelectric properties of Ag2Te-Cu2Te composite material

Ag2Te is a potential thermoelectric material that has potential applications in the field of waste heat generation, with both phonon-liquid electron-crystal and superionic conductivity characteristics. However, the n-p-type conversion caused by phase transformation, as well as the bipolar effect resulting from a narrow energy gap, hinder the optimization of the dimensionless thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT). In this study, an Ag2Te-Cu2Te composite material was prepared by a solid-state method. The bipolar effect and n-p-type conversion of Ag2Te were inhibited by combining it with Cu2Te. High power factor was maintained, and the thermal conductivity was effectively reduced through Ni doping. Therefore, the ZT value increased, and reached 0.93 at 573 K, an increase of 41%, compared to the Ag2Te-Cu2Te without Ni doping. (c) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

In this study, an Ag2Te-Cu2Te composite material was prepared to inhibit the bipolar effect and n-p-type conversion of Ag2Te. By reducing the thermal conductivity through Ni doping, the ZT value was increased, reaching 0.93 at 573 K, a 41% increase compared to the Ag2Te-Cu2Te without Ni doping.