The carrier concentration in Bi2Te3-based alloys is a decisive factor in determining their thermoelectric performance. Herein, we propose a novel approach to modulate the carrier concentration via the encapsulation of the alloy precursor powders. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) of ZnO and SnO2 was performed over the Bi2Te2.7Se0.3 powders. After spark plasma sintering at 500 °C for 20 min, the carrier concentration in the ZnO-coated samples decreased, while the carrier concentration in the SnO2-coated samples increased. This trend was more pronounced as the number of ALD cycles increased. This was attributed to the intermixing of the metal ions at the interface. Zn2+ substituted for Bi3+ at the interface acted as an acceptor, while Sn4+ substituted for Bi3+ acted as a donor. This indicates that the carrier concentration can be adjusted depending on the materials deposited with ALD. The use of fine powders changes the carrier concentration more strongly, because the quantity of material deposited increases with the effective surface area. Therefore, the proposed approach would provide opportunities to precisely optimize the carrier concentration for high thermoelectric performance.
Gravity-driven membrane (GDM) filtration system based on the nanofiber membrane was investigated. This system can be operated with little energy demand due to a gravitational pressure-driven filtration and biological fouling control strategy. Moreover, the optimal module configuration based on the high permeance of nanofiber membrane can provide a significantly high water productivity. In order to evaluate its applicability potential, the pilot-scale (3000-5000 L/day) systems with nanofiber membranes were operated in developing countries (Kiribati and Tuvalu). Our results showed that the 14-92 L/(m 2 ×h) of the permeate flux was determined indicating a stabilized water productivity. In addition, the permeate water indicated a high removal rate (more than 99.99%) of turbidity and bacteria. Consequently, the system can provide a stabilized water production with safe permeate water quality during long-term operation. These findings exemplify an effective approach to decentralized drinking water treatment for developing countries.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.