Transport and thermoelectric properties in Copper intercalated TiS2 chalcogenide

We report on the thermoelectric properties of CuxTiS2 bulk compounds. Copper cations have been intercalated into the layered chalcogenide TiS2 by spark plasma sintering. X-ray diffraction analysis coupled to transmission electron microscopy shows that the lattice constant c expands linearly as the Cu content x increases. The Cu-intercalation into TiS2 leads to substantial decrease in both electrical resistivity and lattice thermal conductivity as compared to those of pristine TiS2. The figure of merit, ZT, is increased up to 0.45 at 800 K for x = 0.02. The power factor, PF, reaches 1.7 mW/mK(2) in TiS2 at 325 K. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3621834]