Thermoelectric Performance of Tetrahedrite (CuSbS) Thin Films: The Influence of the Substrate and Interlayer.

In the present work, tetrahedrite CuSbS thin films were deposited on various substrates via aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition (AACVD) using diethyldithiocarbamate complexes as precursors. A buffer layer of SbO with a small lattice mismatch to CuSbS was applied to one of the glass substrates to improve the quality of the deposited thin film. The buffer layer increased the coverage of the CuSbS thin film, resulting in improved electrical transport properties.

Exceptional Thermoelectric Performance of Cu(Zn,Fe,Cd)SnS Thin Films.

High-quality Cu(Zn,Fe,Cd)SnS (CZFCTS) thin films based on the parent CZTS were prepared by aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition (AACVD). Substitution of Zn by Fe and Cd significantly improved the electrical transport properties, and monophasic CZFCTS thin films exhibited a maximum power factor (PF) of ∼0.22 μW cm K at 575 K.

Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance of Tin(II) Sulfide Thin Films Prepared by Aerosol Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition.

Orthorhombic SnS exhibits excellent thermoelectric performance as a consequence its relatively high Seebeck coefficient and low thermal conductivity. In the present work, polycrystalline orthorhombic SnS thin films were prepared by aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition (AACVD) using the single source precursor dibutyl-(diethyldithiocarbamato)tin(IV) [Sn(CH)(SCN(CH))]. We examined the effects of the processing parameters on the composition, microstructure, and electrical transport properties of the SnS films.

Precursor-Led Grain Boundary Engineering for Superior Thermoelectric Performance in Niobium Strontium Titanate.

We present a novel method to significantly enhance the thermoelectric performance of ceramics in the model system SrTiNbO through the use of the precursor ammonium tetrathiomolybdate (0.5-2% w/w additions). After sintering the precursor-infused green body at 1700 K for 24 h in 5% H/Ar, single-crystal-like electron transport behavior developed with electrical conductivity reaching ∼3000 S/cm at ∼300 K, almost a magnitude higher than that in the control sample.

High Power Factor Nb-Doped TiO Thermoelectric Thick Films: Toward Atomic Scale Defect Engineering of Crystallographic Shear Structures.

Donor-doped TiO-based materials are promising thermoelectrics (TEs) due to their low cost and high stability at elevated temperatures. Herein, high-performance Nb-doped TiO thick films are fabricated by facile and scalable screen-printing techniques. Enhanced TE performance has been achieved by forming high-density crystallographic shear (CS) structures.

Controlling the Thermoelectric Behavior of La-Doped SrTiO through Processing and Addition of Graphene Oxide.

The addition of graphene has been reported as a potential route to enhance the thermoelectric performance of SrTiO. However, the interplay between processing parameters and graphene addition complicates understanding this enhancement. Herein, we examine the effects of processing parameters and graphene addition on the thermoelectric performance of La-doped SrTiO (LSTO).

Tin-Substituted Chalcopyrite: An -Type Sulfide with Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance.

The dearth of -type sulfides with thermoelectric performance comparable to that of their type analogues presents a problem in the fabrication of all-sulfide devices. Chalcopyrite (CuFeS) offers a rare example of an -type sulfide. Chemical substitution has been used to enhance the thermoelectric performance of chalcopyrite through preparation of Cu Sn FeS (0 ≤ ≤ 0.

Controlling the Thermoelectric Properties of Nb-Doped TiO Ceramics through Engineering Defect Structures.

Donor-doped TiO ceramics are promising high-temperature oxide thermoelectrics. Highly dense (1 - )TiO-NbO (0.005 ≤ ≤ 0.

Modulation of Charge Transport at Grain Boundaries in SrTiO: Toward a High Thermoelectric Power Factor at Room Temperature.

Modulation of the grain boundary properties in thermoelectric materials that have thermally activated electrical conductivity is crucial in order to achieve high performance at low temperatures. In this work, we show directly that the modulation of the potential barrier at the grain boundaries in perovskite SrTiO changes the low-temperature dependency of the bulk material's electrical conductivity. By sintering samples in a reducing environment of increasing strength, we produced LaSrTiO (LSTO) ceramics that gradually change their electrical conductivity behavior from thermally activated to single-crystal-like, with only minor variations in the Seebeck coefficient.

Enhancing the Thermoelectric Performance of Calcium Cobaltite Ceramics by Tuning Composition and Processing.

Calcium cobaltite (CaCoO) is a promising p-type thermoelectric oxide material. Here, we present an approach to optimize the thermoelectric performance of CaCoO by controlling the chemical composition and fabrication process. CaBiCoO (0.

Self-Nanostructuring in SrTiO: A Novel Strategy for Enhancement of Thermoelectric Response in Oxides.

Nanostructuring is recognized as an efficient route for enhancing thermoelectric response. Here, we report a new synthesis strategy for nanostructuring oxide ceramics and demonstrate its effectiveness on an important n-type thermoelectric SrTiO. Ceramics of SrLaTiO with additions of BO were synthesized by the mixed oxide route.

Enhancing the thermoelectric properties of SrPr□ TiO through control of crystal structure and microstructure.

A-site deficient perovskites are among the most important n-type thermoelectric oxides. Ceramics of SrPr□ TiO ( x = 0.1-1.

Managing dose-, damage- and data-rates in multi-frame spectrum-imaging.

As an instrument, the scanning transmission electron microscope is unique in being able to simultaneously explore both local structural and chemical variations in materials at the atomic scale. This is made possible as both types of data are acquired serially, originating simultaneously from sample interactions with a sharply focused electron probe. Unfortunately, such scanned data can be distorted by environmental factors, though recently fast-scanned multi-frame imaging approaches have been shown to mitigate these effects.

Prospects for Engineering Thermoelectric Properties in LaNbO Ceramics Revealed via Atomic-Level Characterization and Modeling.

A combination of experimental and computational techniques has been employed to explore the crystal structure and thermoelectric properties of A-site-deficient perovskite LaNbO ceramics. Crystallographic data from X-ray and electron diffraction confirmed that the room temperature structure is orthorhombic with Cmmm as a space group. Atomically resolved imaging and analysis showed that there are two distinct A sites: one is occupied with La and vacancies, and the second site is fully unoccupied.

Concurrent La and A-Site Vacancy Doping Modulates the Thermoelectric Response of SrTiO: Experimental and Computational Evidence.

To help understand the factors controlling the performance of one of the most promising n-type oxide thermoelectric SrTiO, we need to explore structural control at the atomic level. In SrLaTiO ceramics (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.

Tuning the thermoelectric properties of A-site deficient SrTiO ceramics by vacancies and carrier concentration.

Ceramics based on SrLaTiNbO have been prepared by the mixed oxide route. The LaNbO component generates ∼13.4% A-site vacancies; this was fixed for all samples.

Non-rigid registration and non-local principle component analysis to improve electron microscopy spectrum images.

Image registration and non-local Poisson principal component analysis (PCA) denoising improve the quality of characteristic x-ray (EDS) spectrum imaging of Ca-stabilized Nd2/3TiO3 acquired at atomic resolution in a scanning transmission electron microscope. Image registration based on the simultaneously acquired high angle annular dark field image significantly outperforms acquisition with a long pixel dwell time or drift correction using a reference image. Non-local Poisson PCA denoising reduces noise more strongly than conventional weighted PCA while preserving atomic structure more faithfully.

Facile Surfactant-Free Synthesis of p-Type SnSe Nanoplates with Exceptional Thermoelectric Power Factors.

A surfactant-free solution methodology, simply using water as a solvent, has been developed for the straightforward synthesis of single-phase orthorhombic SnSe nanoplates in gram quantities. Individual nanoplates are composed of {100} surfaces with {011} edge facets. Hot-pressed nanostructured compacts (Eg ≈0.

Tungsten Bronze Barium Neodymium Titanate (Ba(6-3n)Nd(8+2n)Ti(18)O(54)): An Intrinsic Nanostructured Material and Its Defect Distribution.

We investigated the structure of the tungsten bronze barium neodymium titanates Ba(6-3n)Nd(8+2n)Ti(18)O(54), which are exploited as microwave dielectric ceramics. They form a complex nanostructure, which resembles a nanofilm with stacking layers of ∼12 Å thickness. The synthesized samples of Ba(6-3n)Nd(8+2n)Ti(18)O(54) (n = 0, 0.

Thermoelectric Power Generation from Lanthanum Strontium Titanium Oxide at Room Temperature through the Addition of Graphene.

The applications of strontium titanium oxide based thermoelectric materials are currently limited by their high operating temperatures of >700 °C. Herein, we show that the thermal operating window of lanthanum strontium titanium oxide (LSTO) can be reduced to room temperature by the addition of a small amount of graphene. This increase in operating performance will enable future applications such as generators in vehicles and other sectors.