Strategies for boosting thermoelectric performance of PbSe: A review

High Thermoelectric Performance in AgBiSe2-Incorporated n-Type Bi2Te2.69Se0.33Cl0.03

“…For decades, TE materials capable of converting waste heat into electrical energy and cooling solid-state applications have piqued global interest; − however, the efficacy of thermoelectric materials depends on how the counter-interrelation of the parameters that gave its mathematical expression is handled. The figure of merit is defined as ZT = S 2 σ T /κ = S 2 σ T /(κ e + κ lat ), where S , σ, κ, and T are the Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity (including electronic thermal conductivity κ e , lattice thermal conductivity κ lat ), and absolute temperature, respectively. , A desired outcome in the TE research is either higher S 2 σ or lower κ; however, navigating the counter-interrelationship (competing effects) of S , σ, and κ e to improve the ZT is very challenging due to their coupling through band structure and scattering mechanism. , Thus, various techniques such as band engineering, , nanostructuring, , tuning carrier concentration, etc. , have been developed over the years to decouple the three variables and enhance the thermoelectric performance of materials.…”

“…4,5 A desired outcome in the TE research is either higher S 2 σ or lower κ; however, navigating the counterinterrelationship (competing effects) of S, σ, and κ e to improve the ZT is very challenging due to their coupling through band structure and scattering mechanism. 6,7 Thus, various techniques such as band engineering, 8,9 nanostructuring, 10,11 tuning carrier concentration, etc. 12,13 have been developed over the years to decouple the three variables and enhance the thermoelectric performance of materials.…”

High Thermoelectric Performance and Low Lattice Thermal Conductivity in Lattice-Distorted High-Entropy Semiconductors AgMnSn1–xPbxSbTe4

“…In the past two decades, band structure manipulations (band convergence , and resonant levels , ), modulation doping, and energy filtering , have been proposed to regulate the electrical transport properties of thermoelectric materials for high S 2 σ values, while point defects, − dislocations, , grain boundaries, , and nanoprecipitates have been employed to regulate the thermal transport properties of thermoelectric materials for lower κ tot values. In recent years, entropy engineering (i.e., increasing configurational entropy) has gained increasing attention in the thermoelectric community because it not only causes severe lattice distortion to reduce the lattice thermal conductivity but also enhances the symmetry of the crystal structure to enhance the Seebeck coefficient of thermoelectric materials, thus a high figure of merit ZT has been reported in high-entropy thermoelectric materials, such as Pb 0.99– y Sb 0.012 Sn y Se 0.5 Te 0.25 S 0.25 , AgSnSbSe 3– x Te x , (GeTe) 1–2 x (GeSe) x (GeS) x , and AgMnGeSbTe 4 .…”

Processing High-Performance Thermoelectric Materials in a Green Way: A Proof of Concept in Cold Sintered PbTe0.94Se0.06

“…The TE performance of the thermoelectric material depends on the dimensionless figure-of-merit, ZT = σ S 2 T /κ, where σ, S , κ, and T are the electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, thermal conductivity, and absolute temperature, respectively. Currently, significant improvements of ZT values reaching 2–3 have been achieved in conventional as well as state-of-the-art TE materials, including lead chalcogenides, , silver antimony telluride, , skutterudites, , selenides, , and so on. Except for a few types of single crystals, most of these advanced TE materials are prepared on the basis of the powder processing-sintering protocol due to the obvious merits in suppressing thermal conductivity and scalable production.…”