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BiCuSeO as state-of-the-art thermoelectric materials for energy conversion: from thin films to bulks

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Abstract

BiCuSeO-based thermoelectric material has attracted great attention as state-of-the-art thermoelectric materials since it was first reported in 2010. In this review, we update the studies on the BiCuSeO thin films first. Then, we focus on the most recent progress of multiple approaches that enhance the thermoelectric performance including advanced synthesized technologies, notable mechanisms for higher power factor (optimizing carrier concentration, carrier mobility, Seebeck coefficient) and doping effects predicted by calculation. And finally, aiming at further enhancing the performance of these materials and ultimately commercial application, we give a brief discussion on the urgent issues to which should be paid close attention.

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Reproduced with permission of Ref. [30]. Copyright (2017): Royal Society of Chemistry

Fig. 3

Reproduced with permission of Ref. [31]. Copyright (2017): Wiley Company

Fig. 4

Reproduced with permission of Ref. [34]. Copyright (2015): Royal Society of Chemistry

Fig. 5

Reproduced with permission of Ref. [44]. Copyright (2016): Wiley Company

Fig. 6

Reproduced with permission of Refs. [4, 46, 48]. Copyright (2017): American Association for Advancement of Science; Copyright (2015): Royal Society of Chemistry; Copyright (2017): Royal Society of Chemistry

Fig. 7

Reproduced with permission of Ref [50]. Copyright (2017): Elsevier

Fig. 8

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Fig. 9

Reproduced with permission of Refs. [54, 51]. Copyright (2013): Royal Society of Chemistry; Copyright (2017): Elsevier

Fig. 10

Reproduced with permission of Ref. [56]. Copyright (2015): AIP Publishing LLC

Fig. 11

Reproduced with permission of Ref. [57]. Copyright (2014): American Chemical Society

Fig. 12

Reproduced with permission of Ref. [58]. Copyright (2013): The Royal Society of Chemistry

Fig. 13

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Fig. 14

Reproduced with permission of Ref. [61]. Copyright (2017): American Chemical Society

Fig. 15

Reproduced with permission of Ref. [66]. Copyright (2017): Royal Society of Chemistry

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the National Key Research Programme of China (No. 2016YFA0201003), the National Basic Research Program of China (No. 2013CB632506), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51772016), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 51672155, 51532003) and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (No. 2016M601020).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China

    Rui Liu, Xing Tan, Yao-Chun Liu, Guang-Kun Ren, Zhi-Fang Zhou, Ce-Wen Nan & Yuan-Hua Lin

  2. State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China

    Jin-Le Lan

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  1. Rui Liu
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Liu, R., Tan, X., Liu, YC. et al. BiCuSeO as state-of-the-art thermoelectric materials for energy conversion: from thin films to bulks. Rare Met. 37, 259–273 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12598-018-1006-1

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