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Largely enhanced thermoelectric properties of the binary-phased PbTe–Sb2Te3 nanocomposites

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 January 2012

Pengxian Lu ,
Xingbang Wang  and
Manman Lu
Pengxian Lu*
Affiliation:
College of Materials Science and Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450007, People’s Republic of China
Xingbang Wang
Affiliation:
Zhengzhou Foreign Language School, Zhengzhou 450000, People’s Republic of China
Manman Lu
Affiliation:
Zhengzhou Foreign Language School, Zhengzhou 450000, People’s Republic of China
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: pengxian_lu@haut.edu.cn
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Abstract

In this article, the binary-phased PbTe–Sb2Te3 nanopowders were synthesized via a hydro/solvo-thermal route to improve the thermoelectric properties of PbTe matrix material. The single-phased PbTe powders exhibit pure nanoparticles, but the binary-phased PbTe–Sb2Te3 powders have a mixed morphology composed of nanospheres and nanoribbons. Our results suggest that the thermal conductivity of the binary-phased PbTe–Sb2Te3 bulks can be reduced significantly and the Seebeck coefficient can be increased obviously, although the electrical conductivity can also be decreased sharply. Consequently, a large figure of merit 0.85 at 623 K can be achieved for 0.7PbTe–0.3Sb2Te3 bulk, which is enhanced by about one time as compared to that of the single-phased PbTe bulk. This large enhancement could be attributed to the lowered carrier concentration and the increased interface scattering in the binary-phased PbTe–Sb2Te3 materials with a mixed morphology.

Keywords

ThermoelectricityNanostructureThermoelectric
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 27 , Issue 4 , 28 February 2012 , pp. 734 - 739
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2012

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