Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance of Cu3SbSe4 Doped with Alkali-Ion (Na and K)

  • Review Paper
  • Published:
Electronic Materials Letters Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The thermoelectric properties of alkali-ion-doped compounds Cu3Sb1−xMxSe4 (M = Na and K) prepared by mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering compaction, are investigated systematically between 300 K and 673 K. The increase in the hole carrier concentration causes a reduction in the electrical resistivity in the whole temperature range and a rise in the power factor at elevated temperature for alkali-ion-doped compounds as compared to pristine Cu3SbSe4. For example, the maximum power factors for Cu3Sb1−xNaxSe4 (x = 0.02 and 0.03) and Cu3Sb0.99K0.01Se4 at 673 K are all increased by around 1.6 times compared to the un-doped sample. As a result, the peak ZT value reaches 0.52 and 0.71 at 673 K for Cu3Sb1−xNaxSe4 (x = 0.02 and 0.03) and Cu3Sb0.99K0.01Se4, which is 27% and 73% larger than that (0.41) of the un-doped sample, respectively. In this work, K-doping is more effective in improving thermoelectric performance of Cu3SbSe4, due to its larger ionic radius, which can bring more lattice distortions and point defects to scatter phonons than Na-doping.

Graphic Abstract

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Li, W., Wu, Y., Lin, S., Chen, Z., Li, J., Zhang, X., Zheng, L., Pei, Y.: Advances in environment-friendly SnTe thermoelectrics. ACS Energy Lett. 2, 2349–2355 (2017)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Tan, G.J., Zhao, L.D., Kanatzidis, M.G.: Rationally designing high-performance bulk thermoelectric materials. Chem. Rev. 116, 12123–12149 (2016)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Wei, T.R., Li, F., Li, J.F.: Enhanced thermoelectric performance of nonstoichiometric compounds Cu 3–x SbSe 4 by Cu deficiencies. J. Electron. Mater. 43, 2229–2238 (2014)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Do, D.T., Mahanti, S.D.: Theoretical study of defects Cu3SbSe4: search for optimum dopants for enhancing thermoelectric properties. J. Alloys Compd. 625, 346–354 (2015)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. García, G., Palacios, P., Cabot, A., Wahnón, P.: Thermoelectric properties of doped-Cu3SbSe4 compounds: a first-principles insight. Inorg. Chem. 57, 7321–7333 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Li, Y.Y., Qin, X.Y., Li, D., Li, X.Y., Liu, Y.F., Zhang, J., Song, C.J., Xin, H.X.: Transport properties and enhanced thermoelectric performance of aluminum doped Cu3SbSe4. RSC Adv. 5, 31399–31403 (2015)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Zhao, D., Wu, D., Bo, L.: Enhanced thermoelectric properties of Cu3SbSe4 compounds via gallium doping. Energies 10, 1524 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Zhang, D., Yang, J., Jiang, Q., Fu, L., Xiao, Y., Luo, Y., Zhou, Z.: Improvement of thermoelectric properties of Cu3SbSe4 compound by In doping. Mater. Des. 98, 150–154 (2016)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Ghanwat, V.B., Mali, S.S., Bagade, C.S., Mane, R.M., Hong, C.K., Bhosale, P.N.: Thermoelectric properties of indium(III)-doped copper antimony selenide thin films deposited using a microwave-assisted technique. Energy Technol. 4, 835–842 (2016)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Chang, C.H., Chen, C.L., Chiu, W.T., Chen, Y.Y.: Enhanced thermoelectric properties of Cu3SbSe4 by germanium doping. Mater. Lett. 186, 227–230 (2017)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Li, D., Li, R., Qin, X.Y., Zhang, J., Song, C.J., Wang, L., Xin, H.X.: Co-precipitation synthesis of Sn and/or S doped nanostructured Cu3Sb1-xSnxSe4-ySy with a high thermoelectric performance. CrystEngComm 15, 7166–7170 (2013)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Liu, Y., Garcia, G., Ortega, S., Cadavid, D., Palacios, P., Lu, J., Ibanez, M., Xi, L., DeRoo, J., Lopez, A.M., Marti-Sanchez, S., Cabezas, I., Mata, M.D.L., Luo, Z., Dun, C., Dobrozhan, O., Carroll, D., Zhang, W., Martins, J.C., Kovalenko, M., Arbiol, J., Noriega, G., Song, J., Wahnon, P., Cabot, A.: Solution-based synthesis and processing of Sn- and Bi-doped Cu3SbSe4 nanocrystals, nanomaterials and ring-shaped thermoelectric generators. J. Mater. Chem. A. 5, 2592–2602 (2017)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Wei, T.R., Wang, H., Gibbs, Z.M., Wu, C.F., Snyder, G.J., Li, J.F.: Thermoelectric properties of Sn-doped p-type Cu3SbSe4: a compound with large effective mass and small band gap. J. Mater. Chem. A. 2, 13527–13533 (2014)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Li, X.Y., Li, D., Xin, H.X., Zhang, J., Song, C.J., Qin, X.Y.: Effects of bismuth doping on the thermoelectric properties of Cu3SbSe4 at moderate temperatures. J. Alloys Compd. 561, 105–108 (2013)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Kumar, A., Dhama, P., Saini, D.S., Banerji, P.: Effect of Zn substitution at a Cu site on the transport behavior and thermoelectric properties in Cu3SbSe4. RSC Adv. 6, 5528–5534 (2016)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Shuai, J., Kim, H.S., Lan, Y.C., Chen, S., Liu, Y., Zhao, H.Z., Sui, J.H., Ren, Z.F.: Study on thermoelectric performance by Na doping in nanostructured Mg1-xNaxAg0.97Sb0.99. Nano Energy 11, 640–646 (2015)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Kim, Y.J., Zhao, L.D., Kanatzidis, M.G., Seidman, D.N.: Analysis of nanoprecipitates in a Na-doped PbTe-SrTe thermoelectric material with a high figure of merit. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces. 9, 21791–21797 (2017)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Zhou, B.Q., Li, S., Li, W., Li, J., Zhang, X.Y., Lin, S.Q., Chen, Z.W., Pei, Y.Z.: Thermoelectric properties of SnS with Na-doping. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 9, 34033–34041 (2017)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Girard, S.N., He, J.Q., Zhou, X.Y., Shoemaker, D., Jaworski, C.M., Uher, C., Dravid, V.P., Heremans, J.P., Kanatzidis, M.G.: High performance Na-doped PbTe-PbS thermoelectric materials: electronic density of states modification and shape-controlled nanostructures. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 133, 16588–16597 (2011)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Ge, Z.H., Song, D.S., Chong, X.Y., Zheng, F.S., Jin, L., Qian, X., Zheng, L., Dunin-Borkowski, R.E., Qin, P., Feng, J., Zhao, L.D.: Boosting the thermoelectric performance of (Na, K)-codoped polycrystalline SnSe by synergistic tailoring of the band structure and atomic-scale defect phonon scattering. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 139, 9714–9720 (2017)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Zhang, Q., Cao, F., Liu, W.S., Lukas, K., Yu, B., Chen, S., Opeil, C., Broido, D., Chen, G., Ren, Z.F.: Heavy doping and band engineering by potassium to improve the thermoelectric figure of merit in p-type PbTe, PbSe, and PbTe1−ySey. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 134, 10031–10038 (2012)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Chen, Y.X., Ge, Z.H., Yin, M.J., Feng, D., Huang, X.Q., Zhao, W.Y., He, J.Q.: Understanding of the extremely low thermal conductivity in high-performance polycrystalline SnSe through potassium doping. Adv. Funct. Mater. 26, 6836–6845 (2016)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Zhang, H., Li, S.M., Li, D.D., Jin, S.F., Shen, S.J., Ying, T.P., Lin, Z.P., Li, K.K., Yuan, D.D., Zhao, H.Z.: Enhancement of the thermoelectric properties of BaCu2Se2 by potassium doping. Mater. Lett. 152, 117–120 (2015)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Financial supports from the Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 51672278 is greatly acknowledged.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Technology, 100 Haiquan Road, Shanghai, 201418, People’s Republic of China

    Yunchen Dou, Qiqi Zhu, Yong Du & Jiayue Xu

  2. Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 230031, Hefei, People’s Republic of China

    Di Li

Authors
  1. Yunchen Dou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Qiqi Zhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yong Du
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jiayue Xu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Di Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Yunchen Dou or Di Li.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Dou, Y., Zhu, Q., Du, Y. et al. Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance of Cu3SbSe4 Doped with Alkali-Ion (Na and K). Electron. Mater. Lett. 16, 99–105 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13391-020-00198-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13391-020-00198-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation