High Pressure Synthesis of p-Type CeyFe4-xCoxSb12 Skutterudites

Yadi Liu; Xiaohui Li; Qian Zhang; Long Zhang; Dongli Yu; Bo Xu; Yongjun Tian

doi:10.3390/ma9040257

High Pressure Synthesis of p-Type Ce_yFe_4-xCo_xSb₁₂ Skutterudites

Materials (Basel). 2016 Mar 31;9(4):257. doi: 10.3390/ma9040257.

Authors

Yadi Liu¹, Xiaohui Li², Qian Zhang³, Long Zhang⁴, Dongli Yu⁵, Bo Xu⁶, Yongjun Tian⁷

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, Hebei, China. ready1986@163.com.
² State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, Hebei, China. lixiaohui.hebei@163.com.
³ State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, Hebei, China. qian.zhang@hpstar.ac.cn.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, Hebei, China. lzhang@ysu.edu.cn.
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, Hebei, China. ydl@ysu.edu.cn.
⁶ State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, Hebei, China. bxu@ysu.edu.cn.
⁷ State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, Hebei, China. fhcl@ysu.edu.cn.

Abstract

Co-substituted p-Type CeFe_4-xCo_xSb₁₂ skutterudites were successfully synthesized with a high pressure synthesis method. The structure, composition, and thermoelectric properties were investigated. The obtained Ce_yFe_4-xCo_xSb₁₂ samples show the skutterudite structure of I m 3 ¯ symmetry. The hole concentration decreases with elevating Co substitution level, leading to increased Seebeck coefficient and electrical resistivity. Meanwhile, the filling fraction of Ce decreases, which is unfavorable for reducing the lattice thermal conductivity. As a result, the thermoelectric performance of Ce_yFe_4-xCo_xSb₁₂ deteriorates with higher Co content. The maximal ZT of 0.91 was achieved at 763 K for the optimal Ce_0.92Fe₄Sb₁₂ sample.

Keywords: filling fraction; high pressure synthesis; skutterudites; substitution; thermoelectric properties.