Work

In Situ TEM Studies of Nanostructured Thermoelectric Materials: An Application to Mg‐Doped Zn 4 Sb 3 Alloy

Year: 2017

Type: article

Abstract: We demonstrate an advanced approach using state of the art in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to understand the interplay between nanostructures and thermoelectric (TE) properties of high‐performance Mg‐doped Zn 4 Sb 3 TE systems. By using the technique, microstructure and crystal evolutions of TE material have been dynamically captured as a function of temperature from 300 K to 573 K. On heating, we have clearly observed precipitation and growth of a Zn‐rich secondary phase as nanoinclusions in the matrix of primary Zn 4 Sb 3 phase. Elemental mapping by STEM‐EDX spectroscopy reveals enrichment of Zn in the secondary Zn 6 Sb 5 nanoinclusions during the thermal processing without decomposition. Such nanostructures strongly enhances phonon scattering, resulting in a decrease in the thermal conductivity leading to a zT value of 1.4 at 718 K.

Source: ChemPhysChem

DOI: 10.1002/cphc.201700930

Authors: Duc‐The Ngo, Le Thanh Hung, Ngo Van Nong

Institutions: University of Manchester, Technical University of Denmark

Language: English

Topic: Advanced Thermoelectric Materials and Devices

Subfield: Materials Chemistry

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funder: Strategiske Forskningsråd

Award: G767667885