Thermoelectric performance enhancement of calcium cobaltite through barium grain boundary segregation.

We report the dramatic increase of the Seebeck coefficient S and thermoelectric performance of calcium cobaltite Ca3Co4O9+δ ceramics through non-stoichiometric addition of minute amount of Ba. The nominal chemistry of polycrystal pellets are Ca3BaxCo4O9+δ (x = 0, 0.01, 0.