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Title: Superior thermoelectric performance in PbTe-PbS pseudo-binary. Extremely low thermal conductivity and modulated carrier concentration

Journal Article · · Energy & Environmental Science
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1039/c5ee01147g· OSTI ID:1226036
 [1];  [2];  [1];  [1];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [1];  [4];  [3];  [2];  [1]
  1. South Univ. of Science and Technology of China, Shenshen (China)
  2. Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States)
  3. Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
  4. Tsinghua Univ., Beijing (China)
  5. Beihang Univ., Beijing (China)

Lead chalcogenides have exhibited their irreplaceable role as thermoelectric materials at the medium temperature range, owing to highly degenerate electronic bands and intrinsically low thermal conductivities. PbTe-PbS pseudo-binary has been paid extensive attentions due to the even lower thermal conductivity which originates largely from the coexistence of both alloying and phase-separated precipitations. To investigate the competition between alloying and phase separation and its pronounced effect on the thermoelectric performance in PbTe-PbS, we systematically studied Spark Plasma Sintered (SPSed), 3 at% Na- doped (PbTe)1-x(PbS)x samples with x=10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30% and 35% by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations and theoretical calculations. Corresponding to the lowest lattice thermal conductivity as a result of the balance between point defect- and precipitates- scattering, the highest figure of merit ZT~2.3 was obtained at 923 K when PbS phase fraction x is at 20%. The consistently lower lattice thermal conductivities in SPSed samples compared with corresponding ingots, resulting from the powdering and follow-up consolidation processes, also contribute to the observed superior ZT. Notably, the onset of carrier concentration modulation ~600 K due to excessive Na’s diffusion and re-dissolution leads to the observed saturations of electrical transport properties, which is believed equally crucial to the outstanding thermoelectric performance of SPSed PbTe-PbS samples.

Research Organization:
Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Revolutionary Materials for Solid State Energy Conversion (RMSSEC); Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC00112704
OSTI ID:
1226036
Report Number(s):
BNL-108325-2015-JA; R&D Project: MA015MACA; KC0201010
Journal Information:
Energy & Environmental Science, Vol. 8, Issue 7; ISSN 1754-5692
Publisher:
Royal Society of ChemistryCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 163 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Capturing anharmonic and anisotropic natures in the thermotics and mechanics of Bi 2 Te 3 thermoelectric material through an accurate and efficient potential journal August 2019
Te-Doped Cu 2 Se nanoplates with a high average thermoelectric figure of merit journal January 2016
Phase stability and thermoelectric properties of semiconductor-like tetragonal FeAl2 text January 2019
Weak Electron Phonon Coupling and Deep Level Impurity for High Thermoelectric Performance Pb 1− x Ga x Te journal May 2018
Thermoelectric Properties and Chemical Potential Tuning by K- and Se-Coalloying in (Pb0.5Sn0.5)1−xKxTe0.95Se0.05 journal March 2019
Extraordinary Thermoelectric Performance Realized in n-Type PbTe through Multiphase Nanostructure Engineering journal August 2017
Understanding the effects of iodine doping on the thermoelectric performance of n-type PbTe ingot materials journal July 2019
Chalcogenide Thermoelectrics Empowered by an Unconventional Bonding Mechanism text January 2019
Coherent magnetic nanoinclusions induce charge localization in half-Heusler alloys leading to high- T c ferromagnetism and enhanced thermoelectric performance journal January 2019
Enhanced thermoelectric performance in n-type polycrystalline SnSe by PbBr 2 doping journal January 2017
Intramolecularly-stabilized Group 14 Alkoxides - Promising Precursors for the Synthesis of Group 14-Chalcogenides by Hot-Injection Method: Intramolecularly-stabilized Group 14 Alkoxides - Promising Precursors for the Synthesis of Group 14-Chalcogenides by Hot-Injection Method journal April 2017
High Performance Thermoelectric Materials: Progress and Their Applications journal November 2017
Unusual lattice thermal conductivity in the simple crystalline compounds TlXTe2(X=Ga,In) journal August 2019
Revisiting AgCrSe 2 as a promising thermoelectric material journal January 2016
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A chemists view: Metal oxides with adaptive structures for thermoelectric applications: A chemists view: metal oxides with adaptive structures journal January 2016
The importance of phase equilibrium for doping efficiency: iodine doped PbTe journal January 2019
Copper Sulfides: Earth‐Abundant and Low‐Cost Thermoelectric Materials journal April 2019
Chalcogenide Thermoelectrics Empowered by an Unconventional Bonding Mechanism journal August 2019
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Discordant nature of Cd in PbSe: off-centering and core–shell nanoscale CdSe precipitates lead to high thermoelectric performance journal January 2020
Comprehensive Investigation on the Thermoelectric Properties of p‐Type PbTe‐PbSe‐PbS Alloys journal September 2019
Integration of multi-scale defects for optimizing thermoelectric properties of n-type Cu 1−x Cd x FeS 2 ( x = 0–0.1) journal January 2019
Local nanostructures enhanced the thermoelectric performance of n-type PbTe journal January 2019
Excellent thermoelectric performance achieved over broad temperature plateau in indium-doped SnTe-AgSbTe 2 alloys journal February 2018
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