Template-free solvothermal synthesis and enhanced thermoelectric performance of Sb2Te3 nanosheets

• Published in: Journal of alloys and compounds 2013-05, Vol.558, p.6-10
• Main Authors: Sun, Shaolin, Peng, Jing, Jin, Renxi, Song, Shuyan, Zhu, Pinwen, Xing, Yan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chemical synthesis methods; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Electronic structure and electrical properties of surfaces, interfaces, thin films and low-dimensional structures; Electronic transport in multilayers, nanoscale materials and structures; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Methods of nanofabrication; Nanocrystalline materials; Nanostructured materials; Physics; Sintering; Solvothermal synthesis; Thermoelectric materials; Transmission electron microscopy
• ISSN: 0925-8388; 1873-4669
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2013.01.017

[Display omitted] ► Sb2Te3 hexagonal nanosheets were synthesized by a simple template-free solvothermal approach. ► The nanosheets were hot pressing sintered to a nanostructured bulk material for thermoelectric measurements. ► The Sb2Te3 nanosheet sintered bulk sample shows higher Seebeck coefficient and lower thermal conductivity. A simple template-free solvothermal approach has been developed for the fabrication of Sb2Te3 thermoelectric materials. Single-crystalline Sb2Te3 nanosheets are 200–300nm in edge lengths and only 18–20nm thick. The nanosheets with no residual organics were hot pressing sintered (HPS) to a p-type nanostructured bulk material, and it still consisted of Sb2Te3 nanosheets after HPS and thermoelectric (TE) properties measurements. Relatively good TE properties have been achieved in the Sb2Te3 nanosheet sintered bulk sample from 320K to 565K: high electrical conductivity σ (1.69–2.30)×104Ω−1m−1, high Seebeck coefficient S (173–199μVK−1) and low thermal conductivity κ (0.66–0.82Wm−1K−1). Consequently, the dimensionless thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) of 0.57 at 565K was achieved. Meanwhile, the maximum in ZT was shifted significantly to higher temperature.