Synergistically Optimized Thermoelectric Performance in Bi0.48Sb1.52Te3 by Hot Deformation and Cu Doping

In recent decades, bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) has been in widespread use for normal-temperature thermoelectric cooling. However, commercial zone-melted bismuth telluride faces the big challenge of dramatically decreased thermoelectric properties at higher temperature, which limits its usage at intermediate temperature. In this contribution, the thermoelectric performance of p-type bismuth telluride is enhanced via a synergistic optimization by hot deformation and copper doping. Hot deformation treatment boosts the grain growth and exhibits donor-like effects, leading to improved electronic transport properties. Meanwhile, high-density dislocations and lattice distortions induced by dynamic recrystallization aggravate the phonon-related scattering and significantly compress the lattice thermal conductivity. In addition, copper doping effectively tunes the hole concentration, and the generated point defects also reduce the lattice thermal conductivity. Consequently, a high ZTmax of 1.1 at 400 K and ZTave of...

[1]  Yue Chen,et al.  Dilute Cu2Te-alloying enables extraordinary performance of r-GeTe thermoelectrics , 2019, Materials Today Physics.

[2]  W. Shin,et al.  High thermoelectric performance of melt-spun CuxBi0.5Sb1.5Te3 by synergetic effect of carrier tuning and phonon engineering , 2018, Acta Materialia.

[3]  Hsin-jay Wu,et al.  High thermoelectric performance in Cu-doped Bi2Te3 with carrier-type transition , 2018, Acta Materialia.

[4]  Jinfeng Dong,et al.  Melt‐Centrifuged (Bi,Sb)2Te3: Engineering Microstructure toward High Thermoelectric Efficiency , 2018, Advanced materials.

[5]  Yue Chen,et al.  Manipulation of Band Structure and Interstitial Defects for Improving Thermoelectric SnTe , 2018, Advanced Functional Materials.

[6]  M. Kanatzidis,et al.  Thermal conductivity in Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3+x and the role of dense dislocation arrays at grain boundaries , 2018, Science Advances.

[7]  Y. Qiu,et al.  Enhanced thermoelectric properties of bismuth telluride bulk achieved by telluride-spilling during the spark plasma sintering process , 2018 .

[8]  P. Lu,et al.  Roles of Cu in the Enhanced Thermoelectric Properties in Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 , 2017, Materials.

[9]  Kamal K. Kar,et al.  Recent advances in thermoelectric materials , 2016 .

[10]  Tiejun Zhu,et al.  Attaining high mid-temperature performance in (Bi,Sb)2Te3 thermoelectric materials via synergistic optimization , 2016 .

[11]  Yue Chen,et al.  Interstitial Point Defect Scattering Contributing to High Thermoelectric Performance in SnTe , 2016 .

[12]  Cuncheng Li,et al.  Enhanced thermoelectric performance of Cu2Se/Bi0.4Sb1.6Te3 nanocomposites at elevated temperatures , 2016 .

[13]  G. J. Snyder,et al.  Dense dislocation arrays embedded in grain boundaries for high-performance bulk thermoelectrics , 2015, Science.

[14]  Xinbing Zhao,et al.  Enhanced thermoelectric and mechanical properties of zone melted p-type (Bi,Sb)2Te3 thermoelectric materials by hot deformation , 2015 .

[15]  Jinlan Wang,et al.  Topological transport and atomic tunnelling–clustering dynamics for aged Cu-doped Bi2Te3 crystals , 2014, Nature Communications.

[16]  Tiejun Zhu,et al.  Point Defect Engineering of High‐Performance Bismuth‐Telluride‐Based Thermoelectric Materials , 2014 .

[17]  Jaeyoung Jang,et al.  All-inorganic nanocrystals as a glue for BiSbTe grains: design of interfaces in mesostructured thermoelectric materials. , 2014, Angewandte Chemie.

[18]  Tiejun Zhu,et al.  Shifting up the optimum figure of merit of p -type bismuth telluride-based thermoelectric materials for power generation by suppressing intrinsic conduction , 2014 .

[19]  G. Lu,et al.  Microstructure and transport properties of copper-doped p-type BiSbTe alloy prepared by mechanical alloying and subsequent spark plasma sintering , 2013 .

[20]  Dawei Liu,et al.  BiSbTe‐Based Nanocomposites with High ZT: The Effect of SiC Nanodispersion on Thermoelectric Properties , 2013 .

[21]  Haijun Wu,et al.  Texturation boosts the thermoelectric performance of BiCuSeO oxyselenides , 2013 .

[22]  Xinbing Zhao,et al.  Hot deformation induced bulk nanostructuring of unidirectionally grown p-type (Bi,Sb)2Te3 thermoelectric materials , 2013 .

[23]  Heng Wang,et al.  Weak electron–phonon coupling contributing to high thermoelectric performance in n-type PbSe , 2012, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

[24]  Qian Zhang,et al.  Thermoelectric Property Studies on Cu‐Doped n‐type CuxBi2Te2.7Se0.3 Nanocomposites , 2011 .

[25]  Wei Li,et al.  Enhanced thermoelectric performance in p-type BiSbTe bulk alloy with nanoinclusion of ZnAlO , 2011 .

[26]  Tiejun Zhu,et al.  Recrystallization induced in situ nanostructures in bulk bismuth antimony tellurides: a simple top down route and improved thermoelectric properties , 2010 .

[27]  Qingjie Zhang,et al.  Unique nanostructures and enhanced thermoelectric performance of melt-spun BiSbTe alloys , 2009 .

[28]  Gang Chen,et al.  Enhanced thermoelectric figure-of-merit in p-type nanostructured bismuth antimony tellurium alloys made from elemental chunks. , 2008, Nano letters.

[29]  M. Dresselhaus,et al.  High-Thermoelectric Performance of Nanostructured Bismuth Antimony Telluride Bulk Alloys , 2008, Science.

[30]  Han Li,et al.  Preparation and thermoelectric transport properties of high-performance p-type Bi2Te3 with layered nanostructure , 2007 .

[31]  J. Cui,et al.  Thermoelectric properties of Cu-doped p-type pseudo-binary CuxBi0.5Sb1.5−xTe3 (x = 0.05–0.4) alloys prepared by spark plasma sintering , 2006 .

[32]  Xing Zhang,et al.  Bismuth telluride nanotubes and the effects on the thermoelectric properties of nanotube-containing nanocomposites , 2005 .

[33]  A. Majumdar.  Thermoelectricity in Semiconductor Nanostructures , 2004, Science.

[34]  F. Disalvo,et al.  Thermoelectric cooling and power generation , 1999, Science.

[35]  H. Goldsmid,et al.  Electro-deposited copper in bismuth telluride , 1970 .

[36]  W. Tiller,et al.  Effects of Heavy Deformation and Annealing on the Electrical Properties of Bi2Te3 , 1962 .

[37]  F. Lotgering,et al.  Topotactical reactions with ferrimagnetic oxides having hexagonal crystal structures—I , 1959 .