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Crystal Structures and Thermoelectric Properties of Layered Compounds in the ATe–Bi2Te3(A = Ge, Sn, Pb) Systems

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Abstract

Single-crystal and powder x-ray diffraction studies of compounds in the nATe · mBi2Te3 (A = Ge, Sn, Pb) homologous series in the pseudobinary systems ATe–Bi2Te3 reveal a marked dissimilarity of the GeTe–Bi2Te3 system from SnTe–Bi2Te3 and PbTe–Bi2Te3. The GeTe–Bi2Te3 system contains, along with GeBi2Te4 (n/m = 1), GeTe-rich (n/m > 1) and Bi2Te3-rich (n/m < 1) members of the nGeTe · mBi2Te3 series. In contrast, the Sn and Pb systems contain only Bi2Te3-rich compounds (n/m < 1). This dissimilarity is interpreted in terms of the crystal structures of GeTe, SnTe, and PbTe. The thermoelectric properties of nPbTe · mBi2Te3 compounds are studied in a broad temperature range. The thermoelectric figures of merit of unoptimized n-type PbBi4Te7 and PbBi2Te4 are ZT= 0.5 and 0.4 at 600 and 650 K, respectively. Comparison of the thermoelectric properties of the isostructural 12-layer compounds GeBi4Te7, SnBi4Te7, and PbBi4Te7 indicates that the maximum in thermopower shifts to higher temperatures in going from the Ge to Sn and Pb compounds.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Baikov Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Science, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskii pr. 49, Moscow, 119991, Russia

    L. E. Shelimova, O. G. Karpinskii, E. S. Avilov, M. A. Kretova & V. S. Zemskov

  2. Ioffe Physicotechnical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Politekhnicheskaya ul. 26, St. Petersburg, 194021, Russia

    P. P. Konstantinov

Authors
  1. L. E. Shelimova
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  2. O. G. Karpinskii
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  3. P. P. Konstantinov
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  4. E. S. Avilov
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  5. M. A. Kretova
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  6. V. S. Zemskov
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Shelimova, L.E., Karpinskii, O.G., Konstantinov, P.P. et al. Crystal Structures and Thermoelectric Properties of Layered Compounds in the ATe–Bi2Te3(A = Ge, Sn, Pb) Systems. Inorganic Materials 40, 451–460 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:INMA.0000027590.43038.a8

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