Issue 8, 2017

Potential for high thermoelectric performance in n-type Zintl compounds: a case study of Ba doped KAlSb4

Abstract

High-throughput calculations (first-principles density functional theory and semi-empirical transport models) have the potential to guide the discovery of new thermoelectric materials. Herein we have computationally assessed the potential for thermoelectric performance of 145 complex Zintl pnictides. Of the 145 Zintl compounds assessed, 17% show promising n-type transport properties, compared with only 6% showing promising p-type transport. We predict that n-type Zintl compounds should exhibit high mobility μn while maintaining the low thermal conductivity κL typical of Zintl phases. Thus, not only do candidate n-type Zintls outnumber their p-type counterparts, but they may also exhibit improved thermoelectric performance. From the computational search, we have selected n-type KAlSb4 as a promising thermoelectric material. Synthesis and characterization of polycrystalline KAlSb4 reveals non-degenerate n-type transport. With Ba substitution, the carrier concentration is tuned between 1018 and 1019 e cm−3 with a maximum Ba solubility of 0.7% on the K site. High temperature transport measurements confirm a high μn (50 cm2 V−1 s−1) coupled with a near minimum κL (0.5 W m−1 K−1) at 370 °C. Together, these properties yield a zT of 0.7 at 370 °C for the composition K0.99Ba0.01AlSb4. Based on the theoretical predictions and subsequent experimental validation, we find significant motivation for the exploration of n-type thermoelectric performance in other Zintl pnictides.

Graphical abstract: Potential for high thermoelectric performance in n-type Zintl compounds: a case study of Ba doped KAlSb4

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
03 Nov 2016
Accepted
23 Dec 2016
First published
11 Jan 2017

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2017,5, 4036-4046

Potential for high thermoelectric performance in n-type Zintl compounds: a case study of Ba doped KAlSb4

B. R. Ortiz, P. Gorai, L. Krishna, R. Mow, A. Lopez, R. McKinney, V. Stevanović and E. S. Toberer, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2017, 5, 4036 DOI: 10.1039/C6TA09532A

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