X-ray scattering study of thermoelectric β-ZnSb.

The application of thermoelectrics for energy harvesting depends strongly on operational reliability and it is therefore desirable to investigate the structural integrity of materials under operating conditions. We have developed an setup capable of simultaneously measuring X-ray scattering data and electrical resistance on pellets subjected to electrical current. Here, investigations of β-ZnSb are reported at current densities of 0.

Reconciling Crystallographic and Physical Property Measurements on Thermoelectric Lead Sulfide.

For many decades the lead chalcogenides PbTe, PbSe, and PbS (and their solid solutions) have been preferred high-performance thermoelectric materials due to their exceptional electronic and thermal properties as well as great stability during operation. However, there is a lack of understanding about the fundamental relation between the reported high-defect crystal structure containing cation disorder and vacancies and the observed transport properties, which follow expectations for an ideal rock salt crystal structure. Here we have studied a series of undoped lead sulfide samples (PbS) with presumed small chemical variations.