Thermoelectric devices that are flexible and optically transparent hold unique promise for future electronics. However, development of invisible thermoelectric elements is hindered by the lack of p-type transparent thermoelectric materials. Here we present the superior room-temperature thermoelectric performance of p-type transparent copper iodide (CuI) thin films. Large Seebeck coefficients and power factors of the obtained CuI thin films are analysed based on a single-band model. The low-thermal conductivity of the CuI films is attributed to a combined effect of the heavy element iodine and strong phonon scattering. Accordingly, we achieve a large thermoelectric figure of merit of ZT=0.21 at 300 K for the CuI films, which is three orders of magnitude higher compared with state-of-the-art p-type transparent materials. A transparent and flexible CuI-based thermoelectric element is demonstrated. Our findings open a path for multifunctional technologies combing transparent electronics, flexible electronics and thermoelectricity.

Heterostructures that consist of a germanium antimony telluride matrix and cobalt germanide precipitates can be obtained by straightforward solid-state synthesis including simple annealing and quenching procedures. The microscale precipitates are homogeneously distributed in a matrix with pronounced "herringbone-like" nanostructure associated with very low thermal conductivities. In comparison to the corresponding pure tellurides, the figure of merit (ZT) values of heterostructured materials are remarkably higher. This is mostly due to an increase of the Seebeck coefficient with only little impact on the electrical conductivity. In addition, the phononic part of the thermal conductivity is significantly reduced in some of the materials. As a result, ZT values of ca. 1.9 at 450 °C are achieved. Temperature-dependent changes of the thermoelectric properties are well-understood and correlate with complex phase transitions of the telluride matrix. However, the high ZT values are retained in multiple measurement cycles.

Non-stoichiometry is the key to single-phase layered compounds in the system Mn/Bi/Te, which is essential to evaluate their multifunctional properties.

Pseudobinary phases (SnSe) BiSe exhibit a very diverse structural chemistry characterized by different building blocks, all of which are cutouts of the NaCl type. For SnSe contents between x = 5 and x = 0.5, several new phases were discovered. Next to, for example, SnBiSe ( x = 4) in the NaCl structure type and SnBiSe ( x = 0.5) in the layered defect GeSbTe structure type, there are at least four compounds (0.8 ≤ x ≤ 3) with lillianite-like structures built up from distorted NaCl-type slabs (L4,4-type SnBiSe, L4,5-type SnBiSe, L4,7-type SnBiSe, and L7,7-type SnBiSe). For two of them (L4,7 and L7,7), the cation distributions were determined by resonant X-ray scattering, which also confirmed the presence of significant amounts of cation vacancies. Thermoelectric figures of merit ZT range from 0.04 for SnBiSe to 0.2 for layered SnBiSe; this is similar to that of the related compounds SnBiTe or PbBiTe. Compounds of the lillianite series exhibit rather low thermal conductivities (∼0.75 W/mK for maximal ZT). More than other "sulfosalts", compounds in the pseudobinary system SnSe-BiSe adapt to changes in the cation-anion ratio by copying structure types of compounds containing lighter or heavier homologues of Sn, Bi, or Se and can incorporate significant amounts of vacancies. Thus, (SnSe) BiSe is a multipurpose model system with vast possibilities for substitutional and structural modification aiming at the optimization of thermoelectric or other properties.

<p>The crystal structures of new layered manganese bismuth tellurides with the compositions Mn0.85(3)Bi4.10(2)Te7 and Mn0.73(4)Bi6.18(2)Te10 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, including the use of microfocused synchrotron radiation. These analyses reveal that the layered structures deviate from the idealized stoichiometry of the 12<i>P</i>-GeBi4Te7 (space group <i>P</i>3<i>m</i>1) and 51<i>R</i>-GeBi6Te10 (space group <i>R</i>3<i>m</i>) structure types they adopt. Modified compositions Mn1–<i>x</i>Bi4+2<i>x</i>/3Te7 (<i>x </i>= 0.15 – 0.2) and Mn1–<i>x</i>Bi6+2<i>x</i>/3Te10 (<i>x </i>= 0.19 – 0.26) assume cation vacancies and lead to homogenous bulk samples as confirmed by Rietveld refinements. Electron diffraction patterns exhibit no diffuse streaks that would indicate stacking disorder. The alternating quintuple-layer [M2Te3] and septuple-layer [M3Te4] slabs (M = mixed occupied by Bi and Mn) with 1:1 sequence (12<i>P </i>stacking) in Mn0.85Bi4.10Te7 and 2:1 sequence (51<i>R </i>stacking) in Mn0.81Bi6.13Te10 were also observed in HRTEM images. Temperature-dependent powder diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry show that the compounds are high temperature phases, which are metastable at ambient temperature. Magnetization measurements are in accordance with a MnII oxidation state and point at predominantly ferromagnetic coupling in both compounds. The thermoelectric figures of merit of n-type conducting Mn0.85Bi4.10Te7 and Mn0.81Bi6.13Te10 reach <i>zT </i>= 0.25 at 375 °C and <i>zT </i>= 0.28 at 325 °C, respectively. Although the compounds are metastable, compact ingots exhibit still up to 80% of the main phases after thermoelectric measurements up to 400 °C.</p>