High Thermoelectric Efficiency Realized in SnSe Crystals Via Structural Modulation

Overview

Journal Nat Commun

Specialty Biology

Date 2023 Mar 14

PMID 36914654

Authors

Bingchao Qin

Dongyang Wang

Tao Hong

Yuping Wang

Dongrui Liu

Ziyuan Wang

Xiang Gao

Zhen-Hua Ge

Li-Dong Zhao

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Crystalline thermoelectrics have been developed to be potential candidates for power generation and electronic cooling, among which SnSe crystals are becoming the most representative. Herein, we realize high-performance SnSe crystals with promising efficiency through a structural modulation strategy. By alloying strontium at Sn sites, we modify the crystal structure and facilitate the multiband synglisis in p-type SnSe, favoring the optimization of interactive parameters μ and m. Resultantly, we obtain a significantly enhanced PF ~85 μW cm K, with an ultrahigh ZT ~1.4 at 300 K and ZT ~2.0 among 300-673 K. Moreover, the excellent properties lead to single-leg device efficiency of ~8.9% under a temperature difference ΔT ~300 K, showing superiority among the current low- to mid-temperature thermoelectrics, with an enhanced cooling ΔT of ~50.4 K in the 7-pair thermoelectric device. Our study further advances p-type SnSe crystals for practical waste heat recovery and electronic cooling.

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