Enhanced mid-temperature thermoelectric performance of textured SnSe polycrystals made of solvothermally synthesized powders. Issue 10 (22nd February 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Li, Yiwen; Li, Fu; Dong, Jinfeng; Ge, Zhenhua; Kang, Feiyu; He, Jiaqing; Du, Hongda; Li, Bo; Li, Jing-Feng
• Is Part Of: Journal of materials chemistry. Volume 4:Issue 10(2016)
• Page Start: 2047
• Page End: 2055
• Publication Date: 2016-02-22
• Subjects: Materials -- Periodicals; Chemistry, Analytic -- Periodicals; Optical materials -- Research -- Periodicals; Electronics -- Materials -- Research -- Periodicals; 543.0284
• DOI: 10.1039/c5tc04202j
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2050-7526

Abstract

Abstract : A high ZT of up to 0.6 at 773 K with improved mid-temperature thermoelectric performance is achieved for textured SnSe polycrystals without deliberate doping. Abstract : This work revealed that the thermoelectric properties of textured SnSe polycrystals, which are made of solvothermally synthesized powders with a preferred orientation grown along the (400) plane, can be enhanced, especially in the range of mid-temperatures. The electrical conductivity for the sintered sample is greatly improved in the whole measured temperature range, attributed to the high carrier concentration and unique mobility change. This results in a large power factor combined with the moderate Seebeck coefficient, especially in the range of 300–650 K, which exceeds 5 μW cm −1 K −2 at 423 K and even larger than 6 μW cm −1 K −2 at 521 K. Benefiting from the enhanced electrical conductivity and the low total thermal conductivity (<1 W m −1 K −1 in the range of 300 to 773 K), a higher ZT value than that reported for undoped single crystals was achieved in a relatively wide mid-temperature range, which reached 0.44 at 522 K and 0.5 at 573 K, and then showed weak temperature dependence in the range from 573 to 700 K. Above 700 K, the ZT value increased with temperature and a maximum value of nearly 0.6 was obtained at the maximum measured temperature of 773 K for the SnSe sample without any deliberate doping.