A higher figure of
merit (ZT) can be achieved
for tin selenide (SnSe)-based thermoelectric materials by significantly
reducing the thermal conductivity (κ) via three promising strategies:
substitution with isoelectric atoms, exfoliation of nanosheets (NSs)
from a bulk ingot, and chemical transformation of the material into
a porous structure. Specifically, SnSe1–x
S
x
NSs are prepared from bulk ingots
by hydrothermal Li intercalation and subsequent exfoliation. The substitution
of S atoms into SnSe and the fabrication of SnSe1–x
S
x
NSs contribute to
the scattering of phonons at a number of atomic disorders and nanosized
boundaries, leading to effective reduction of the κ value and
an improved ZT. The introduction of porosity into
the material through the chemical transformation process results in
further reduction of κ, which leads to a higher ZT. The fabricated porous SnSe0.8S0.2 NS has
a maximal ZT value of 0.12 at 310 K, which is significantly
higher than that of pristine SnSe.
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