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Enhancement of the thermoelectric performance of CuInTe2 via SnO2 in situ replacement

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Abstract

In situ induced nanostructure is employed as an alternative way to enhance the thermoelectric performance of p-type CuInTe2 based thermoelectric materials in this work. Dispersive In2O3 nanoparticles are formed in the samples with SnO2 by virtue of the in situ replacement of SnO2 and CuInTe2. As a result, an obvious reduction in the thermal conductivity has been achieved due to the intensive scattering of phonon by the in situ formed In2O3 nanoparticles. In addition, the power factor of CuInTe2 is less effected by SnO2 additive. Eventually, an enhanced ZT of 1.1 at 823 K has been achieved for the CuInTe2–0.5% SnO2 sample.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2016M602376, 2015M572210), National Natural Science Foundation of China (61604110), Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Provincial China (2016CFB297, 2017CFB291), Department of Education Science Research Program of Hubei Province (Q20161110) and the State Key Laboratory of Refractories and Metallurgy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The State Key Laboratory of Refractories and Metallurgy, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, No. 947 Heping Avenue, Wuhan, 430081, People’s Republic of China

    Weixin Li & Lei Zhao

  2. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 639798, Singapore

    Yubo Luo, Yun Zheng, Chengfeng Du, Qinghua Liang & Beibei Zhu

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  1. Weixin Li
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  2. Yubo Luo
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  3. Yun Zheng
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  4. Chengfeng Du
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  5. Qinghua Liang
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  6. Beibei Zhu
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  7. Lei Zhao
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Correspondence to Yubo Luo or Lei Zhao.

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Li, W., Luo, Y., Zheng, Y. et al. Enhancement of the thermoelectric performance of CuInTe2 via SnO2 in situ replacement. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 29, 4732–4737 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-017-8427-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-017-8427-8

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