Highly tailored gap-like structure for excellent thermoelectric performance

Xu X, Huang Y, Liu X, Jia B, Cui J, He R, Wang J, Luo Y, Nielsch K, He J (2022)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2022

Journal

Energy and Environmental Science Royal Society of Chemistry

Book Volume: 15

Pages Range: 4058-4068

Journal Issue: 10

DOI: 10.1039/d2ee02336a

Abstract

The microstructure-dependent thermal transport property has drawn significant attention in the thermoelectric community for elevating thermoelectric performance. In this work, we characterized gap-like structures and improved their controllability in GeTe-rich Sb2Te3(GeTe)n samples. The statistics of the gap-like structures were studied through direct observation using a transmission electron microscope with atomic-resolved spherical aberration correction. We found a strong and unambiguous linear correlation of the nominal composition to the planar density and sizes of the gap-like structures. This microstructure tailoring further enabled a significant reduction in lattice thermal conductivity, an ultrahigh maximum ZT value of ∼2.4 at 773 K, and an average ZT value of ∼1.51 from 323 K to 773 K in p-type Sb2Te3(Ge0.995Yb0.005Te)17. Together with n-type Pb0.985Sb0.015Te, we further fabricated a single-stage thermoelectric module that realized an exceptional output power density value of 1.25 W cm−2 and an efficiency of 7.5% under a temperature gradient of 480 K. Our pioneering strategy validated the beneficial effect of gap-like-structure tailoring for improving thermoelectric performance, laying the groundwork for similar studies on other thermoelectric materials.

Involved external institutions

Southern University of Science and Technology CN China (CN) Leibniz-Institut für Festkörper- und Werkstoffforschung Dresden e.V. (IFW) / Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Xu, X., Huang, Y., Liu, X., Jia, B., Cui, J., He, R.,... He, J. (2022). Highly tailored gap-like structure for excellent thermoelectric performance. Energy and Environmental Science, 15(10), 4058-4068. https://doi.org/10.1039/d2ee02336a

MLA:

Xu, Xiao, et al. "Highly tailored gap-like structure for excellent thermoelectric performance." Energy and Environmental Science 15.10 (2022): 4058-4068.

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