Enhancing Recoverable Bendability of Ag2Te‐Based Thermoelectrics by Elastic Strain Manipulation

Abstract Inherent rigidity of high‐performing inorganic thermoelectric materials constrains their potential applications as flexible power sources for the wearable electronics. Deformation within the elastic region ensures the reservation of a material's initial functionalities, motivating the...

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Main Authors: Zimin Fan, Wenjun Ding, Xinyi Shen, Jun Luo, Wen Li, Yanzhong Pei
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley-VCH 2025-02-01
Series:Advanced Electronic Materials
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/aelm.202400728
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author Zimin Fan
Wenjun Ding
Xinyi Shen
Jun Luo
Wen Li
Yanzhong Pei
author_facet Zimin Fan
Wenjun Ding
Xinyi Shen
Jun Luo
Wen Li
Yanzhong Pei
author_sort Zimin Fan
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Inherent rigidity of high‐performing inorganic thermoelectric materials constrains their potential applications as flexible power sources for the wearable electronics. Deformation within the elastic region ensures the reservation of a material's initial functionalities, motivating the current work to focus on the elasticity enhancement of Ag2Te thermoelectric. Ag2S‐alloying results in an observable reduction in the modulus of Ag2Te1‐xSx alloys (x ≤ 0.3), which thereby enables not only a great increase in the elastic strain but also a significant plasticization of the alloys, allowing the plastic deformability by the rolling at a temperature of ≈120 °C. Such a plastic deformation‐induced improvement in yield strength leads to a further improvement of the elastic strain up to 1.8%, corresponding to ≈200% enhancements as compared to pristine Ag2Te (≈0.6%). Eventually, the multi‐pass hot‐rolled Ag2Te0.9S0.1 film achieves a full recoverability in transport properties even after elastic bending within a tiny radius of ≈3 mm for 100 000 times and a power density as high as ≈25 W m−2 in six‐leg device. This work robustly demonstrates a universal strategy to advance the recoverable bendability of inorganic thermoelectric materials for flexible applications.
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issn 2199-160X
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series Advanced Electronic Materials
spelling doaj-art-45cae85dc95f4ddbb1ac5b216264ca9b2025-08-20T03:12:20ZengWiley-VCHAdvanced Electronic Materials2199-160X2025-02-01112n/an/a10.1002/aelm.202400728Enhancing Recoverable Bendability of Ag2Te‐Based Thermoelectrics by Elastic Strain ManipulationZimin Fan0Wenjun Ding1Xinyi Shen2Jun Luo3Wen Li4Yanzhong Pei5Interdisciplinary Materials Research Center School of Materials Science and Engineering Tongji University 4800 Caoan Rd. Shanghai 201804 ChinaInterdisciplinary Materials Research Center School of Materials Science and Engineering Tongji University 4800 Caoan Rd. Shanghai 201804 ChinaInterdisciplinary Materials Research Center School of Materials Science and Engineering Tongji University 4800 Caoan Rd. Shanghai 201804 ChinaInterdisciplinary Materials Research Center School of Materials Science and Engineering Tongji University 4800 Caoan Rd. Shanghai 201804 ChinaInterdisciplinary Materials Research Center School of Materials Science and Engineering Tongji University 4800 Caoan Rd. Shanghai 201804 ChinaInterdisciplinary Materials Research Center School of Materials Science and Engineering Tongji University 4800 Caoan Rd. Shanghai 201804 ChinaAbstract Inherent rigidity of high‐performing inorganic thermoelectric materials constrains their potential applications as flexible power sources for the wearable electronics. Deformation within the elastic region ensures the reservation of a material's initial functionalities, motivating the current work to focus on the elasticity enhancement of Ag2Te thermoelectric. Ag2S‐alloying results in an observable reduction in the modulus of Ag2Te1‐xSx alloys (x ≤ 0.3), which thereby enables not only a great increase in the elastic strain but also a significant plasticization of the alloys, allowing the plastic deformability by the rolling at a temperature of ≈120 °C. Such a plastic deformation‐induced improvement in yield strength leads to a further improvement of the elastic strain up to 1.8%, corresponding to ≈200% enhancements as compared to pristine Ag2Te (≈0.6%). Eventually, the multi‐pass hot‐rolled Ag2Te0.9S0.1 film achieves a full recoverability in transport properties even after elastic bending within a tiny radius of ≈3 mm for 100 000 times and a power density as high as ≈25 W m−2 in six‐leg device. This work robustly demonstrates a universal strategy to advance the recoverable bendability of inorganic thermoelectric materials for flexible applications.https://doi.org/10.1002/aelm.202400728Ag2Teelastic strainflexible devicepower outputthermoelectric
spellingShingle Zimin Fan
Wenjun Ding
Xinyi Shen
Jun Luo
Wen Li
Yanzhong Pei
Enhancing Recoverable Bendability of Ag2Te‐Based Thermoelectrics by Elastic Strain Manipulation
Advanced Electronic Materials
Ag2Te
elastic strain
flexible device
power output
thermoelectric
title Enhancing Recoverable Bendability of Ag2Te‐Based Thermoelectrics by Elastic Strain Manipulation
title_full Enhancing Recoverable Bendability of Ag2Te‐Based Thermoelectrics by Elastic Strain Manipulation
title_fullStr Enhancing Recoverable Bendability of Ag2Te‐Based Thermoelectrics by Elastic Strain Manipulation
title_full_unstemmed Enhancing Recoverable Bendability of Ag2Te‐Based Thermoelectrics by Elastic Strain Manipulation
title_short Enhancing Recoverable Bendability of Ag2Te‐Based Thermoelectrics by Elastic Strain Manipulation
title_sort enhancing recoverable bendability of ag2te based thermoelectrics by elastic strain manipulation
topic Ag2Te
elastic strain
flexible device
power output
thermoelectric
url https://doi.org/10.1002/aelm.202400728
work_keys_str_mv AT ziminfan enhancingrecoverablebendabilityofag2tebasedthermoelectricsbyelasticstrainmanipulation
AT wenjunding enhancingrecoverablebendabilityofag2tebasedthermoelectricsbyelasticstrainmanipulation
AT xinyishen enhancingrecoverablebendabilityofag2tebasedthermoelectricsbyelasticstrainmanipulation
AT junluo enhancingrecoverablebendabilityofag2tebasedthermoelectricsbyelasticstrainmanipulation
AT wenli enhancingrecoverablebendabilityofag2tebasedthermoelectricsbyelasticstrainmanipulation
AT yanzhongpei enhancingrecoverablebendabilityofag2tebasedthermoelectricsbyelasticstrainmanipulation