Zn/In dual doping enhances the thermoelectric performance of SnTe

As a lead-free material, SnTe shows high thermoelectric potential. However, the larger energy separation of SnTe results in a substantially lower Seebeck coefficient, while the relatively lighter atomic mass of Sn contributes to high thermal conductivity, leading to relatively inferior thermoelectri...

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Main Authors: Lijun Wang, Xiao-Lei Shi, Meng Li, Lvzhou Li, Cuicui Dong, Pengcheng Miao, Ziyi Shen, Ningyi Yuan, Jianning Ding, Shuqi Zheng, Zhi-Gang Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2025-01-01
Series:JPhys Materials
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7639/adb51a
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author Lijun Wang
Xiao-Lei Shi
Meng Li
Lvzhou Li
Cuicui Dong
Pengcheng Miao
Ziyi Shen
Ningyi Yuan
Jianning Ding
Shuqi Zheng
Zhi-Gang Chen
author_facet Lijun Wang
Xiao-Lei Shi
Meng Li
Lvzhou Li
Cuicui Dong
Pengcheng Miao
Ziyi Shen
Ningyi Yuan
Jianning Ding
Shuqi Zheng
Zhi-Gang Chen
author_sort Lijun Wang
collection DOAJ
description As a lead-free material, SnTe shows high thermoelectric potential. However, the larger energy separation of SnTe results in a substantially lower Seebeck coefficient, while the relatively lighter atomic mass of Sn contributes to high thermal conductivity, leading to relatively inferior thermoelectric performance. This study employs a simple and effective microwave synthesis method to tune band structures and introduce nano-defects into the SnTe matrix by dual doping with Zn/In. First-principles calculations indicate that Zn/In dual doping introduces energy levels, broadens the band gap to 0.53 eV, and reduces the energy difference between light and heavy hole valence bands to 0.11 eV, significantly increasing the power factor. Moreover, dual doping introduces many point defects and other nano-defects, which contribute to scattering phonons of different wavelengths and reduce the lattice thermal conductivity. As a result, the zT values of all doped samples are higher than those of pure SnTe. At 773 K, the Sn _0.98 Zn _0.01 In _0.01 Te achieves a maximum zT value of approximately 0.53, which is an increase of 60% compared to the zT for pure SnTe at the same temperature. This work demonstrates that effective dual doping using the solvothermal method is a viable strategy for improving the thermoelectric performance of SnTe.
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spelling doaj-art-1760fea251fc4fbe9e6d9b8fbccdb1f22025-08-20T03:00:49ZengIOP PublishingJPhys Materials2515-76392025-01-018202500510.1088/2515-7639/adb51aZn/In dual doping enhances the thermoelectric performance of SnTeLijun Wang0Xiao-Lei Shi1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0905-2547Meng Li2Lvzhou Li3Cuicui Dong4Pengcheng Miao5Ziyi Shen6Ningyi Yuan7Jianning Ding8Shuqi Zheng9Zhi-Gang Chen10https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9309-7993School of Material Science & Engineering, National Experimental Demonstration Center for Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangsu Province Cultivation base for State Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic Science and Technology, Changzhou University , Changzhou, Jiangsu 213164, People’s Republic of China; School of Chemistry and Physics, ARC Research Hub in Zero-emission Power Generation for Carbon Neutrality, and Centre for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane, Queensland 4000, AustraliaSchool of Chemistry and Physics, ARC Research Hub in Zero-emission Power Generation for Carbon Neutrality, and Centre for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane, Queensland 4000, AustraliaSchool of Chemistry and Physics, ARC Research Hub in Zero-emission Power Generation for Carbon Neutrality, and Centre for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane, Queensland 4000, AustraliaYangzhou Technology Innovation Research Center for Carbon Neutrality of Yangzhou University, School of Mechanical Engineering, Yangzhou University , Yangzhou 225127, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of ChinaSINOPEC (Dalian) Research Institute of Petroleum and Petrochemicals Co., Ltd , Dalian 116045, Liaoning, People’s Republic of ChinaSchool of Material Science & Engineering, National Experimental Demonstration Center for Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangsu Province Cultivation base for State Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic Science and Technology, Changzhou University , Changzhou, Jiangsu 213164, People’s Republic of ChinaSchool of Material Science & Engineering, National Experimental Demonstration Center for Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangsu Province Cultivation base for State Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic Science and Technology, Changzhou University , Changzhou, Jiangsu 213164, People’s Republic of ChinaSchool of Material Science & Engineering, National Experimental Demonstration Center for Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangsu Province Cultivation base for State Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic Science and Technology, Changzhou University , Changzhou, Jiangsu 213164, People’s Republic of ChinaYangzhou Technology Innovation Research Center for Carbon Neutrality of Yangzhou University, School of Mechanical Engineering, Yangzhou University , Yangzhou 225127, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, College of New Energy and Materials, China University of Petroleum , Beijing 102249, People’s Republic of ChinaSchool of Chemistry and Physics, ARC Research Hub in Zero-emission Power Generation for Carbon Neutrality, and Centre for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane, Queensland 4000, AustraliaAs a lead-free material, SnTe shows high thermoelectric potential. However, the larger energy separation of SnTe results in a substantially lower Seebeck coefficient, while the relatively lighter atomic mass of Sn contributes to high thermal conductivity, leading to relatively inferior thermoelectric performance. This study employs a simple and effective microwave synthesis method to tune band structures and introduce nano-defects into the SnTe matrix by dual doping with Zn/In. First-principles calculations indicate that Zn/In dual doping introduces energy levels, broadens the band gap to 0.53 eV, and reduces the energy difference between light and heavy hole valence bands to 0.11 eV, significantly increasing the power factor. Moreover, dual doping introduces many point defects and other nano-defects, which contribute to scattering phonons of different wavelengths and reduce the lattice thermal conductivity. As a result, the zT values of all doped samples are higher than those of pure SnTe. At 773 K, the Sn _0.98 Zn _0.01 In _0.01 Te achieves a maximum zT value of approximately 0.53, which is an increase of 60% compared to the zT for pure SnTe at the same temperature. This work demonstrates that effective dual doping using the solvothermal method is a viable strategy for improving the thermoelectric performance of SnTe.https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7639/adb51athermoelectricSnTeZn/In dual dopingmicrowave
spellingShingle Lijun Wang
Xiao-Lei Shi
Meng Li
Lvzhou Li
Cuicui Dong
Pengcheng Miao
Ziyi Shen
Ningyi Yuan
Jianning Ding
Shuqi Zheng
Zhi-Gang Chen
Zn/In dual doping enhances the thermoelectric performance of SnTe
JPhys Materials
thermoelectric
SnTe
Zn/In dual doping
microwave
title Zn/In dual doping enhances the thermoelectric performance of SnTe
title_full Zn/In dual doping enhances the thermoelectric performance of SnTe
title_fullStr Zn/In dual doping enhances the thermoelectric performance of SnTe
title_full_unstemmed Zn/In dual doping enhances the thermoelectric performance of SnTe
title_short Zn/In dual doping enhances the thermoelectric performance of SnTe
title_sort zn in dual doping enhances the thermoelectric performance of snte
topic thermoelectric
SnTe
Zn/In dual doping
microwave
url https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7639/adb51a
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