Structural Characteristics and Recent Advances in Thermoelectric Binary Indium Chalcogenides
Thermoelectric (TE) materials have garnered widespread research interest owing to their capability for direct heat-to-electricity conversion. Binary indium-based chalcogenides (In–X, X = Te, Se, S) stand out in inorganic materials by virtue of their relatively low thermal conductivity. For example,...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Research |
| Online Access: | https://spj.science.org/doi/10.34133/research.0727 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850161778015600640 |
|---|---|
| author | Yasong Wu Binjie Zhou Lu Liu Shengnan Dai Lirong Song Jiong Yang |
| author_facet | Yasong Wu Binjie Zhou Lu Liu Shengnan Dai Lirong Song Jiong Yang |
| author_sort | Yasong Wu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Thermoelectric (TE) materials have garnered widespread research interest owing to their capability for direct heat-to-electricity conversion. Binary indium-based chalcogenides (In–X, X = Te, Se, S) stand out in inorganic materials by virtue of their relatively low thermal conductivity. For example, In4Se2.35 shows a low thermal conductivity of 0.74 W m−1 K−1 and an impressive zT value of 1.48 along the b–c plane at 705 K, as a result of structural anisotropy. Here, we review the structural features and recent research progress in the TE field for In–X materials. It begins by presenting the characteristics of crystal structure, electronic band structure, and phonon dispersion, aiming to microscopically understand the similarity/dissimilarity among these In–X compounds, notably the role of unconventional bonds (such as In–In) in modulating the band structures and lattice vibrations. Furthermore, TE optimization strategies of such materials were classified and discussed, including defect engineering, crystal orientation engineering, nanostructuring, and grain size engineering. The final section provides an overview of recent progress in optimizing TE properties of indium tellurides, indium selenides, and indium sulfides. An outlook is also presented on the major challenges and opportunities associated with these material systems for future TE applications. This Review is expected to provide critical insights into the development of new strategies to design binary indium-based chalcogenides as promising TE materials in the future. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-efa14282ac604a099453b95c15e688cd |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2639-5274 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-efa14282ac604a099453b95c15e688cd2025-08-20T02:22:43ZengAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)Research2639-52742025-01-01810.34133/research.0727Structural Characteristics and Recent Advances in Thermoelectric Binary Indium ChalcogenidesYasong Wu0Binjie Zhou1Lu Liu2Shengnan Dai3Lirong Song4Jiong Yang5Materials Genome Institute, Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Integrated Circuits and Advanced Display Materials, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.Materials Genome Institute, Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Integrated Circuits and Advanced Display Materials, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.Materials Genome Institute, Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Integrated Circuits and Advanced Display Materials, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.Materials Genome Institute, Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Integrated Circuits and Advanced Display Materials, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.Materials Genome Institute, Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Integrated Circuits and Advanced Display Materials, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.Materials Genome Institute, Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Integrated Circuits and Advanced Display Materials, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.Thermoelectric (TE) materials have garnered widespread research interest owing to their capability for direct heat-to-electricity conversion. Binary indium-based chalcogenides (In–X, X = Te, Se, S) stand out in inorganic materials by virtue of their relatively low thermal conductivity. For example, In4Se2.35 shows a low thermal conductivity of 0.74 W m−1 K−1 and an impressive zT value of 1.48 along the b–c plane at 705 K, as a result of structural anisotropy. Here, we review the structural features and recent research progress in the TE field for In–X materials. It begins by presenting the characteristics of crystal structure, electronic band structure, and phonon dispersion, aiming to microscopically understand the similarity/dissimilarity among these In–X compounds, notably the role of unconventional bonds (such as In–In) in modulating the band structures and lattice vibrations. Furthermore, TE optimization strategies of such materials were classified and discussed, including defect engineering, crystal orientation engineering, nanostructuring, and grain size engineering. The final section provides an overview of recent progress in optimizing TE properties of indium tellurides, indium selenides, and indium sulfides. An outlook is also presented on the major challenges and opportunities associated with these material systems for future TE applications. This Review is expected to provide critical insights into the development of new strategies to design binary indium-based chalcogenides as promising TE materials in the future.https://spj.science.org/doi/10.34133/research.0727 |
| spellingShingle | Yasong Wu Binjie Zhou Lu Liu Shengnan Dai Lirong Song Jiong Yang Structural Characteristics and Recent Advances in Thermoelectric Binary Indium Chalcogenides Research |
| title | Structural Characteristics and Recent Advances in Thermoelectric Binary Indium Chalcogenides |
| title_full | Structural Characteristics and Recent Advances in Thermoelectric Binary Indium Chalcogenides |
| title_fullStr | Structural Characteristics and Recent Advances in Thermoelectric Binary Indium Chalcogenides |
| title_full_unstemmed | Structural Characteristics and Recent Advances in Thermoelectric Binary Indium Chalcogenides |
| title_short | Structural Characteristics and Recent Advances in Thermoelectric Binary Indium Chalcogenides |
| title_sort | structural characteristics and recent advances in thermoelectric binary indium chalcogenides |
| url | https://spj.science.org/doi/10.34133/research.0727 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yasongwu structuralcharacteristicsandrecentadvancesinthermoelectricbinaryindiumchalcogenides AT binjiezhou structuralcharacteristicsandrecentadvancesinthermoelectricbinaryindiumchalcogenides AT luliu structuralcharacteristicsandrecentadvancesinthermoelectricbinaryindiumchalcogenides AT shengnandai structuralcharacteristicsandrecentadvancesinthermoelectricbinaryindiumchalcogenides AT lirongsong structuralcharacteristicsandrecentadvancesinthermoelectricbinaryindiumchalcogenides AT jiongyang structuralcharacteristicsandrecentadvancesinthermoelectricbinaryindiumchalcogenides |