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Title: Thermal conductivity of bulk and nanowire Mg₂SixSn1–x alloys from first principles

Abstract

The lattice thermal conductivity (κ) of the thermoelectric materials, Mg₂Si, Mg₂Sn, and their alloys, are calculated for bulk and nanowires, without adjustable parameters. We find good agreement with bulk experimental results. For large nanowire diameters, size effects are stronger for the alloy than for the pure compounds. For example, in 200 nm diameter nanowires κ is lower than its bulk value by 30%, 20%, and 20% for Mg₂Si₀.₆Sn₀.₄, Mg₂Si, and Mg₂Sn, respectively. For nanowires less than 20 nm thick, the relative decrease surpasses 50%, and it becomes larger in the pure compounds than in the alloy. At room temperature, κ of Mg₂SixSn1–x is less sensitive to nanostructuring size effects than SixGe1–x, but more sensitive than PbTexSe1–x. This suggests that further improvement of Mg₂SixSn1–x as a nontoxic thermoelectric may be possible.

Authors:
; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1101852
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Publisher's Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics Journal Volume: 86 Journal Issue: 17; Journal ID: ISSN 1098-0121
Publisher:
American Physical Society
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Citation Formats

Li, Wu, Lindsay, L., Broido, D. A., Stewart, Derek A., and Mingo, Natalio. Thermal conductivity of bulk and nanowire Mg₂SixSn1–x alloys from first principles. United States: N. p., 2012. Web. doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.86.174307.
Li, Wu, Lindsay, L., Broido, D. A., Stewart, Derek A., & Mingo, Natalio. Thermal conductivity of bulk and nanowire Mg₂SixSn1–x alloys from first principles. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.86.174307
Li, Wu, Lindsay, L., Broido, D. A., Stewart, Derek A., and Mingo, Natalio. 2012. "Thermal conductivity of bulk and nanowire Mg₂SixSn1–x alloys from first principles". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.86.174307.
@article{osti_1101852,
title = {Thermal conductivity of bulk and nanowire Mg₂SixSn1–x alloys from first principles},
author = {Li, Wu and Lindsay, L. and Broido, D. A. and Stewart, Derek A. and Mingo, Natalio},
abstractNote = {The lattice thermal conductivity (κ) of the thermoelectric materials, Mg₂Si, Mg₂Sn, and their alloys, are calculated for bulk and nanowires, without adjustable parameters. We find good agreement with bulk experimental results. For large nanowire diameters, size effects are stronger for the alloy than for the pure compounds. For example, in 200 nm diameter nanowires κ is lower than its bulk value by 30%, 20%, and 20% for Mg₂Si₀.₆Sn₀.₄, Mg₂Si, and Mg₂Sn, respectively. For nanowires less than 20 nm thick, the relative decrease surpasses 50%, and it becomes larger in the pure compounds than in the alloy. At room temperature, κ of Mg₂SixSn1–x is less sensitive to nanostructuring size effects than SixGe1–x, but more sensitive than PbTexSe1–x. This suggests that further improvement of Mg₂SixSn1–x as a nontoxic thermoelectric may be possible.},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevB.86.174307},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1101852}, journal = {Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics},
issn = {1098-0121},
number = 17,
volume = 86,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Nov 29 00:00:00 EST 2012},
month = {Thu Nov 29 00:00:00 EST 2012}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record at https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.86.174307

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Cited by: 409 works
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