Thermoelectric performance of SrTiO3 enhanced by nanostructuring-self-assembled particulate film of nanocubes

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2013 Nov 13;5(21):10933-7. doi: 10.1021/am403112n. Epub 2013 Oct 21.

Abstract

Self-assembled particulate films with a uniform structure over a large area were prepared from La-SrTiO3 nanocubes for thermoelectric applications. UV irradiation was used to assist the formation of particulate film for decomposition of the organic phase in situ to obtain a mechanically robust structure at high temperature. The thermoelectric properties of the particulate film were measured after calcination at 1000 °C under a reductive atmosphere (Ar/H2 = 60/40). A Seebeck coefficient of S = -239 ± 24 μV/K, electrical conductivity of σ = 160 ± 5 S/cm, and thermal conductivity of κ ≈ 1.5 W/mK were obtained for a self-assembled particulate film (La: 5%) corresponding to a ZT value of 0.2 at room temperature, which exceeded that of a La-SrTiO3 single crystal with similar composition.