Zintl-phase compounds with SnSb4 tetrahedral anions: electronic structure and thermoelectric properties
- ORNL
We report the investigation of Zintl-phase Na(K){sub 8}SnSb{sub 4} and related compounds that contain SnSb{sub 4} tetrahedral anions using first principles electronic structure, Boltzmann transport, and density functional phonon calculations. We find that these compounds are narrow-gap semiconductors and there is a combination of heavy and light bands at valence band edge, which may lead to a combination of high thermopower and reasonable conductivity. High values of the thermopower are found for p-type doping within the Boltzmann transport theory. Furthermore, these materials are expected to have low thermal conductivity due to their structures that consist of a network of weakly coupled SnSb{sub 4} clusters, which leads to low phonon frequencies. In particular, we find low-frequency optical phonons that should effectively scatter the heat-carrying acoustic phonons. These results are discussed in terms of the structure, which consists of anionic clusters. Based on the results, it is suggested that such compounds may represent a useful paradigm for finding new thermoelectric materials.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE); USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC05-00OR22725
- OSTI ID:
- 979319
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review B, Vol. 81, Issue 7; ISSN 1098-0121
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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