Optimized electronic properties and nano-structural features for securing high thermoelectric performance in doped GeTe.

Recently, thermoelectric (TE) materials have been attracting great attention due to their improved capability to convert heat directly into electricity. PbTe-based TE materials are among the most competitive ones; however, lead toxicity limits their potential applications. Thus, the current focus in the field is on the discovery of lead-free analogues.

Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance in Ternary Skutterudite Co(GeTe) via Band Engineering.

We report the phase evolution and thermoelectric properties of a series of Co(GeTe)Sb ( = 0-0.20) compositions synthesized by mechanical alloying. Pristine ternary Co(GeTe) skutterudite crystallizes in the rhombohedral symmetry (3̅), and Sb doping induces a structural transition to the cubic phase (ideal skutterudite, 3̅).

Enhancing the thermoelectric performance of SnGeTe via doping with Sb/Bi and alloying with CuTe: Optimization of transport properties and thermal conductivities.

The current work provides a comparative study of the thermoelectric properties of the SnGeTe phases doped with Sb and Bi and alloyed with CuTe. The SnGeTe composition was chosen based on the fact that it delivers the highest ZT value within the SnGeTe series (x≤ 0.5).