Boosting thermoelectric performance of BayCo4Sb12 by interlinking large-aspect-ratio silver nanowires at the triple junction of grain boundaries

Triple Junction Segregation Dominates the Stability of Nanocrystalline Alloys

“…In addition to GBs, dislocations, and point-defects, TJs are an important part of the repertoire of defects in crystalline solids. Indeed, numerous studies have demonstrated that TJs influence a host of materials phenomena and properties, including diffusion, 23,24 thermoelectric 25 and mechanical 26−28 properties, and GB dynamics. 29−33 To demonstrate the increased contribution of TJs with decreasing grain size, one considers a two-dimensional representation of a NC material with a characteristic grain size L (see Supplementary Figure S-1).…”

“…In addition to GBs, dislocations, and point-defects, TJs are an important part of the repertoire of defects in crystalline solids. Indeed, numerous studies have demonstrated that TJs influence a host of materials phenomena and properties, including diffusion, , thermoelectric and mechanical − properties, and GB dynamics. − To demonstrate the increased contribution of TJs with decreasing grain size, one considers a two-dimensional representation of a NC material with a characteristic grain size L (see Supplementary Figure S-1). For this geometry, the TJ density ρ TJ , in units of number of TJs per unit area, and GB density ρ GB , in units of length of GB segments per unit area, are related through (see the Supporting Information) ρ normalT normalJ ρ normalG normalB ∝ 1 L Figure a is a schematic plot of eq depicting values of ρ TJ /ρ GB for micrometer- and nanometer-size crystalline grains, where a drastic increase in TJ density relative to the GB density is seen as the grain size L is reduced into the nanoscale.…”