Issue 43, 2015

Enhanced thermoelectric performance of BiSbTe-based composites incorporated with amorphous Si3N4 nanoparticles

Abstract

Thermoelectric properties of BiSbTe-based composites dispersed with a small amount (<1 vol%) of amorphous Si3N4 (a-Si3N4) nanoparticles (∼25 nm) were investigated in the temperature range from 303 K to 483 K. The results indicate that with a-Si3N4 content increasing, the thermopower (S) of the a-Si3N4/BiSbTe composites increases substantially at T < ∼370 K, due to the decreased carrier concentrations and the enhanced energy-dependent scattering of the carrier at the heterojunction potential. Simultaneously, a-Si3N4 nanodispersion causes ∼20–30% reduction in thermal conductivity (κ) owing to phonon scattering of nanoparticles as well as phase boundaries. As a result, high dimensionless figure of merit (ZT) values of up to 1.20 (∼303 K) and 1.38 (∼383 K) are obtained in Bi0.4Sb1.6Te3 incorporated with only 0.44 vol% a-Si3N4 nanoparticles, demonstrating that the thermoelectric performance of the BiSbTe alloy can be improved effectively through incorporation of a-Si3N4 nanoparticles.

Graphical abstract: Enhanced thermoelectric performance of BiSbTe-based composites incorporated with amorphous Si3N4 nanoparticles

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
13 Mar 2015
Accepted
08 Apr 2015
First published
08 Apr 2015

RSC Adv., 2015,5, 34251-34256

Author version available

Enhanced thermoelectric performance of BiSbTe-based composites incorporated with amorphous Si3N4 nanoparticles

Y. C. Dou, X. Y. Qin, D. Li, Y. Y. Li, H. X. Xin, J. Zhang, Y. F. Liu, C. J. Song and L. Wang, RSC Adv., 2015, 5, 34251 DOI: 10.1039/C5RA04428F

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