Zintl-phase Eu 2 ZnSb 2 : A promising thermoelectric material with ultralow thermal conductivity

Chen, Chen; Xue, Wenhua; Li, Shan; Zhang, Zongwei; Li, Xiaofang; Wang, Xinyu; Liu, Yijie; Sui, Jiehe; Liu, Xingjun; Cao, Feng; Ren, Zhifeng; Chu, Ching-Wu; Wang, Yumei; Zhang, Qian

doi:10.1073/pnas.1819157116

Zintl-phase Eu ₂ ZnSb ₂ : A promising thermoelectric material with ultralow thermal conductivity

Journal Article · Mon Feb 04 00:00:00 EST 2019 · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1819157116· OSTI ID:1493466

Chen, Chen; Xue, Wenhua; Li, Shan; Zhang, Zongwei; Li, Xiaofang; Wang, Xinyu; Liu, Yijie; Sui, Jiehe; Liu, Xingjun; Cao, Feng; Ren, Zhifeng; Chu, Ching-Wu; Wang, Yumei; Zhang, Qian

Zintl compounds are considered to be potential thermoelectric materials due to their “phonon glass electron crystal” (PGEC) structure. A promising Zintl-phase thermoelectric material, 2-1-2–type Eu ₂ ZnSb ₂ ( P 6 ₃ / mmc ), was prepared and investigated. The extremely low lattice thermal conductivity is attributed to the external Eu atomic layers inserted in the [Zn ₂ Sb ₂ ] ^2- network in the structure of 1-2-2–type EuZn ₂ Sb ₂ $(P \bar{3} m 1)$ , as well as the abundant inversion domain boundary. By regulating the Zn deficiency, the electrical properties are significantly enhanced, and the maximum ZT value reaches ∼1.0 at 823 K for Eu ₂ Zn _0.98 Sb ₂ . Our discovery provides a class of Zintl thermoelectric materials applicable in the medium-temperature range.

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Research Organization:: Univ. of Houston, TX (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC)

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0010831

OSTI ID:: 1493466

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1611558

Journal Information:: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Journal Name: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 116; ISSN 0027-8424

Publisher:: National Academy of SciencesCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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