Abstract
The much slower progress in enhancing the thermoelectric performance of n-type Bi2Te3 than that of p-type Bi2Te3 based materials in the past decade hinders the widespread use in power generation and refrigeration. Here, a facile bottom-up solution-synthesis with spark plasma sintering (SPS) process has been developed to build n-type Bi2Te3−xSex bulk nanocomposites, which substantially improves the power factor and decreases the lattice thermal conductivity by tuning the interface scattering of phonons and electrons. The stoichiometric composition in ternary Bi2Te3−xSex nanocomposites is also tuned to optimize the carrier concentration and lattice thermal conductivity. The optimized bulk nanocomposite Bi2Te2.7Se0.3 exhibits a ZT of 1.1 at ~371 K, which is comparable to the corresponding commercially available ingots. Our results demonstrate the great potential of the solution-processed n-type Bi2Te3−xSex nanocomposites for cost-effective thermoelectric applications.
摘要
近十多年来Bi2Te3基材料热电性能研究中, n型材料的热电性能提升要比p型慢很多, 这极大限制了Bi2Te3基材料在发电和制冷应用 领域中的广泛推广. 本文介绍了一种简单的“自下而上”的溶液合成方法, 并结合放电等离子体烧结工艺来构建n型Bi2Te3−xSex纳米复合块 体材料. 在化学溶液合成过程中引入过量的碲源, 实现在烧结制备样品的过程中引入液相烧结过程. 这一过程优化了声子和电子在界面的 散射行为, 从而增强了材料的功率因子并降低了晶格热导率. 通过调整Bi2Te3−xSex 纳米复合材料中的化学成分进一步实现了载流子浓度和 晶格热导率的优化. 优化的Bi2Te2.7Se0.3材料在~371K下的ZT值达到了1.1, 与商业化碲化铋材料的ZT值相当. 本研究表明溶液法制备的n型 碲化铋基纳米复合材料在大规模低成本的热电应用领域具有重要前景.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of SZU (2017003), Shenzhen Science and Technology Research Grant (JCYJ20150324141711684), Singapore National Research Foundation (NRF-RF2009-06) and an Investigator-ship Award (NRFNRFI2015- 03), Ministry of Education (Singapore) via an AcRF Tier2 Grant (MOE2012-T2-2-086). We also thank Dr. Zhong Li and Prof. Khiam Aik Khor for the support on the spark-plasma-sintering experiments.
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Author contributions Zhang C and Xiong Q designed the experiments. Zhang C conducted the material synthesis and characterization. Ng H performed part of the solution-synthesis of the samples. Zhang CX contributed to the SEM characterization. Zhang C wrote the paper with support from Xiong Q. All authors contributed to the general discussion.
Conflict of interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Supplementary information Experimental results including the image of expelled items, EDX, comparison of the thermoelectric properties and the anisotropy of the thermal conductivity test are available in the online version of the paper.
Chaohua Zhang received his BSc degree in physics from Lanzhou University in 2008, and received his PhD degree in physical chemistry under the supervision of Prof. Zhongfan Liu from Peking University in 2013. After three years postdoctoral experience in Prof. Qihua Xiong’s group at Nanyang Technological University, he joined Shenzhen University as an associate professor in 2017. His current research is focused on the controllable growth of 2D materials, synthesis and characterization of thermoelectric materials.
Qihua Xiong received his BSc degree in physics from Wuhan University in 1997, and then finished three years graduate studies at Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He received a PhD degree under the supervision of Prof. Peter C. Eklund from Pennsylvania State University in 2006. After three years postdoctoral experience in Prof. Charles M. Lieber’s group at Harvard University, he joined Nanyang Technological University as an assistant professor in 2009 and was promoted to Professor in 2016. His research focuses on light-matter interactions of emergent quantum matter by optical spectroscopy approaches. He recently ventured into the field of 2D layered materials and laser cooling of solids.
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Zhang, C., Zhang, C., Ng, H. et al. Solution-processed n-type Bi2Te3−xSex nanocomposites with enhanced thermoelectric performance via liquid-phase sintering. Sci. China Mater. 62, 389–398 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-018-9312-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-018-9312-5