Work

Synthesis and structure of undoped and indium-doped thermoelectric lead telluride nanoparticles

Year: 2014

Type: article

Abstract: Undoped and indium (In)-doped lead telluride (PbTe) nanostructures were synthesized via solvothermal/hydrothermal route. The crystalline structure of the as-prepared undoped and In-doped PbTe samples was examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) which indicated the formation of face-centered single-phase cubic crystal. A first principle calculation on indium doping shows that the indium atoms are more likely to replace lead (Pb) rather than to take the interstitial sites. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) analysis confirms that indium is incorporated into the PbTe matrix of the indium-doped PbTe samples. The effects of surfactant and synthesis temperature on the structure and morphology of the undoped PbTe were also investigated; it was found that PbTe nanostructures synthesized with the addition of surfactants exhibited uniform shapes and their size increased with the synthesis temperature.

Source: Nanoscale Research Letters

DOI: 10.1186/1556-276x-9-227

Authors: Kamal Kadel, Latha Kumari, Xuewen Wang, Wenzhi Li, Jian Yu Huang, Paula Polyak Provencio

Institutions: Florida International University, Sandia National Laboratories

Language: English

Topic: Advanced Thermoelectric Materials and Devices

Subfield: Materials Chemistry

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,790

Funders: Florida International University, Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Sandia National Laboratories