Thermoelectric properties of CuS/Ag{sub 2}S nanocomposites synthesed by modified polyol method

• Published in: AIP conference proceedings 2016-05, Vol.1731 (1)
• Main Authors: Tarachand, Sharma, Vikash, Ganesan, V., Okram, Gunadhor S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY; COPPER SULFIDES; DOPED MATERIALS; LIGHT SCATTERING; NANOCOMPOSITES; NANOPARTICLES; NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY; NANOSTRUCTURES; ORTHORHOMBIC LATTICES; PARTICLE SIZE; POWDERS; POWER FACTOR; SILVER SULFIDES; SYNTHESIS; THERMOELECTRIC PROPERTIES; THERMOELECTRICITY; TRANSFORMATIONS; VISIBLE RADIATION; X-RAY DIFFRACTION
• ISSN: 0094-243X; 1551-7616
• DOI: 10.1063/1.4948045

This is the report on successful synthesis of Ag doped CuS nanostructures by modified polyol method. The resulting samples were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Particle size of pure CuS nanoparticles (NPs) was 17 nm, 38 nm and 97 nm as determined from Scherrer formula, AFM and DLS, respectively. Introduction of Ag led to formation of CuS/Ag{sub 2}S composites. A transition at 55 K in thermopower is ascribed to structural transformation from hexagonal to orthorhombic structure. Further, their thermoelectric properties exhibit remarkable change owing to Ag doping in CuS nanostructures. The power factor improves with increasing Ag content. They reveal that CuS/Ag{sub 2}S nanocomposites are some of the potential candidates for generation of thermoelectricity in future.