SnSe, the rising star thermoelectric material: a new paradigm in atomic blocks, building intriguing physical properties

Abstract

Thermoelectric materials, which enable direct energy conversion between waste heat and electricity, are witnessing exciting developments due to innovative breakthroughs both in materials and the synergistic optimization of structures and properties.

Synergistic Optimization of the Electronic and Phonon Transports of N-Type Argyrodite Ag8Sn1–xGaxSe6 (x = 0–0.6) through Entropy Engineering

“…As thermoelectric (TE) materials can be used to achieve direct conversion between heat and electricity without hazardous emissions and moving parts, they are considered as a viable alternative way to solve environmental pollution and energy shortage. − The TE conversion efficiency, which is closely related to materials’ TE performance, is determined by the figure-of-merit ( ZT ), ZT = T α 2 σ/(κ e + κ L ), where T , α, σ, κ e , and κ L are the absolute temperature, Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity, electronic, and lattice thermal conductivity, respectively. The above parameters are hard to be tuned separately because they are affected by many interrelated factors, such as the carrier concentration, , mobility, heterojunction, , inherent structure, and others . Therefore, it is difficult to achieve a high power factor (PF = α 2 σ) and low thermal conductivity (κ = κ e + κ L ) simultaneously.…”

“…The above parameters are hard to be tuned separately because they are affected by many interrelated factors, such as the carrier concentration, 5,6 mobility, 7 heterojunction, 8,9 inherent structure, 10 and others. 11 Therefore, it is difficult to achieve a high power factor (PF = α 2 σ) and low thermal conductivity (κ = κ e + κ L ) simultaneously.…”

Realization of high thermoelectric performance in solution-synthesized porous Zn and Ga codoped SnSe nanosheets

“…In recent years, tin selenide (SnSe), consisting of low-cost, nontoxic and abundant-earth elements, has attracted much attention due to its excellent thermoelectric performance. 20 SnSe is a two-dimensional layered semiconductor with an orthorhombic structure showing the Pnma space group at room temperature and translating to the Cmcm space group above 800 K. 21,22 The strong lattice anharmonicity contributes to its ultralow thermal conductivity. 23 Extraordinarily high ZT values have been reported in both n-type and p-type SnSe single crystals because of the low thermal conductivity induced by the large phonon anharmonicity.…”

Enhanced Thermoelectric Properties of Cu2SnSe3-Based Materials with Ag2Se Addition

“…The intrinsic interdependences of these parameters (α, σ, and κ) make it difficult to decouple them for simultaneous optimizations of electrical and thermal transport properties . In the past few decades, the Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity of TE materials have been optimized through band engineering, , magnetoelectric effect, carrier concentration optimization, , texture engineering, − and modulation doping. , Reduced lattice thermal conductivity can be realized by the lattice softening effect, − high-entropy engineering, − and defect engineering. − Moreover, materials with intrinsically low lattice thermal conductivity have become promising candidates for TE applications. − …”