Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance of SnTe-Based Materials via Interface Engineering

Bang-Zhou Tian; Jie Chen; Xu-Ping Jiang; Jun Tang; Da-Li Zhou; Qiang Sun; Lei Yang; Zhi-Gang Chen

doi:10.1021/acsami.1c16053

Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance of SnTe-Based Materials via Interface Engineering

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2021 Oct 27;13(42):50057-50064. doi: 10.1021/acsami.1c16053. Epub 2021 Oct 14.

Authors

Bang-Zhou Tian¹, Jie Chen¹, Xu-Ping Jiang¹, Jun Tang², Da-Li Zhou¹, Qiang Sun^{3

4}, Lei Yang¹, Zhi-Gang Chen⁵

Affiliations

¹ School of Materials Science & Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China.
² Key Laboratory of Radiation Physics and Technology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China.
³ School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia.
⁴ Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia.
⁵ Centre for Future Materials, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield Central, Queensland 4300, Australia.

PMID: 34648270
DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c16053

Abstract

Interface engineering has been regarded as an effective strategy to improve thermoelectric (TE) performance by modulating electrical transport and enhancing phonon scattering. Herein, we develop a new interface engineering strategy in SnTe-based TE materials. We first use a one-step solvothermal method to synthesize SnTe powders decorated by Sb₂Te₃ nanoplates. After subsequent spark plasma sintering, we found that an ion-exchange reaction between the Sb₂Te₃ and SnTe matrixes happens to result in Sb doping and the formation of SnSb nanoparticles and the recrystallization of the nanograined SnTe at the grain boundaries of the SnTe matrix. Benefitting from this unique engineering, a significantly reduced lattice thermal conductivity of ∼0.64 W m^-1 K^-1 and a high zT of ∼1.08 (∼100% enhanced) at 873 K are achieved in SnTe-Sb_0.06. Such improved TE properties are attributed to the optimized carrier concentration and valence band convergence due to the Sb doping and enhanced phonon scattering by interface engineering at the grain boundaries. This work has demonstrated a facile and effective method to realize high-TE-performance SnTe via interface engineering.

Keywords: SnTe; interface modification; ion-exchange reaction; phonon scattering; thermoelectric.