New and innovative approaches for enhancing the repeatability and thermoelectric performance of ag2x x s se and te and snte

Abstract

Chalcogenide thermoelectric materials have gained significant attention in recent years due to their potential for high-performance thermoelectric energy conversion applications. While enhancing their thermoelectric performance has remained a core area of research, significant current interest has been shifting to address other important issues, including improving the reproducibility and reducing the toxicity of these materials. Chalcogenides offer numerous advantages over other classes of thermoelectric materials. These advantages include the fabrication of both n-type and p-type thermoelectric legs, often from the same parent material, through doping, low thermal conductivity, and high thermoelectric performance across a wide temperature range. For instance, Bi-based alloys exhibit high thermoelectric performance at room temperature; PbTe-based TE materials often reach their peak TE performance in mid-temperature range; and, Cu-based superionic compounds show excellent performance at high temperatures. However, it is important to note that sample stability under applied current and temperature gradients over several thermal cycles is an essential requirement for practical applications. This stability is crucial for achieving reproducibility and ultimately ensuring the newline newline