Hierarchical Architecturing for Layered Thermoelectric Sulfides and Chalcogenides

Abstract

Sulfides are promising candidates for environment-friendly and cost-effective thermoelectric materials. In this article, we review the recent progress in all-length-scale hierarchical architecturing for sulfides and chalcogenides, highlighting the key strategies used to enhance their thermoelectric performance. We primarily focus on TiS2-based layered sulfides, misfit layered sulfides, homologous chalcogenides, accordion-like layered Sn chalcogenides, and thermoelectric minerals. CS2 sulfurization is an appropriate method for preparing sulfide thermoelectric materials. At the atomic scale, the intercalation of guest atoms/layers into host crystal layers, crystal-structural evolution enabled by the homologous series, and low-energy atomic vibration effectively scatter phonons, resulting in a reduced lattice thermal conductivity. At the nanoscale, stacking faults further reduce the lattice thermal conductivity. At the microscale, the highly oriented microtexture allows high carrier mobility in the in-plane direction, leading to a high thermoelectric power factor.

High-performance SnSe thermoelectric materials: Progress and future challenge

“…1, a relative high ZT requires a high S 2 σ and/or a low κ [11,12]. So far, significant progress has been made in enhancing ZT through increasing S 2 σ by resonant state doping [13][14][15][16], minority carrier blocking [17][18][19][20], band convergence [21][22][23][24], quantum confinement [25][26][27][28]; and/or reducing κ by nanostructuring [29][30][31][32], hierarchical architecturing [6,[33][34][35], and matrix with nanoprecipitates [36][37][38][39]. In general, one thermoelectric component contains an n-type and a p-type thermoelectric material, so that the developments of both n-type and p-type high-performance thermoelectric materials are necessary for the practical use of thermoelectric devices [40,41].…”

Research Update: Cu–S based synthetic minerals as efficient thermoelectric materials at medium temperatures

“…[12][13][14] To date, many researchers have investigated TE properties of various kinds of materials based on Cu-S, as will be mentioned below. The TE properties have been reviewed on the sulfides, 15,16 binary sulfides, 17 Cu-based materials, 18 and tetrahedrites, 19 respectively. This review, on the other hand, aims at highlighting common/unique aspects of various Cu-S based synthetic minerals and related systems with potential for TE applications.…”

Rare‐earth‐incorporated low‐dimensional chalcogenides: Dry‐method syntheses and applications

“…Apart from being main composition and dopants, the misfit layer compounds are one significant variety of the RECs of low dimension, which have drawn considerable interest and been applied in the research of thermoelectricity. The misfit layer compounds containing RE can be denoted by a general formula [(REX) 1 + m ] x [TX 2 ] y (T = Ti, V, Cr, Nb, and Ta; X = S and Se; m = 0.08‐0.28; x = 1, 1.5, and 2; y = 1, 2, 3, and 4) . The family of these compounds with an incommensurate layer structure is large.…”