Issue 13, 2023

Synergistic effect of alloying on thermoelectric properties of two-dimensional PdPQ (Q = S, Se)

Abstract

Hosts of 2D materials exist, yet few allow compositional and structural tailoring as the MQ2 (M = Mo, W; Q = S, Se) family does, for which various structural superlattices have been synthesized. Using thorough first-principles calculations, we show how bonding hierarchy contributes to the structural resilience of 2D PdPQ and allows for full-range alloying of sulfur and selenium. Within the structural unit of Pd2P2Q2, the covalently-bonded [P2Q2]4− polyanions hold the structure together with their molecular-like P–P bonds while ionically bonded Pd–Qs allow the S/Se substitution. Here, the bonding hierarchy imparts superior electronic and structural features to the PdPQ monolayers. As such, the flat-and-dispersive valence band and the eight degenerate valleys of the conduction band benefit the p-type and n-type thermoelectricity of pristine PdPQ, which can be further enhanced by alloying. The high-entropy alloying synergistically suppresses the lattice heat transport from 75 to 30 W m−1 K−1 and increases the band degeneracy of PdPQ monolayers, resulting in an overall improvement in zT. Combining these features, in a naïve approach, results in a large zT approaching two for both p-type and n-type doping. However, accurate fully-fledged electron–phonon calculations rebut this promise, showing that at high temperatures, the increased electron scattering results in a stagnant power factor in the flat-and-dispersive valence band. Using a realistic first-principles scattering, we finally calculate the thermoelectric efficiency of PdPQ (Q = S, Se) and highlight the importance of an accurate estimation of electron relaxation time for thermoelectric predictions.

Graphical abstract: Synergistic effect of alloying on thermoelectric properties of two-dimensional PdPQ (Q = S, Se)

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
22 Dec 2022
Accepted
06 Mar 2023
First published
13 Mar 2023

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2023,25, 9617-9625

Synergistic effect of alloying on thermoelectric properties of two-dimensional PdPQ (Q = S, Se)

S. Shahabfar, Y. Xia, M. H. Morshedsolouk, M. Mohammadi and S. S. Naghavi, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2023, 25, 9617 DOI: 10.1039/D2CP05979G

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