Thermoelectric properties and low thermal conductivity of Zintl compound Yb₁₀MnSb₉

Abstract

The recently discovered Zintl compound Yb10MnSb9 is a thermoelectric material very close in compositional space to high performing thermoelectric materials such as Yb14Mn1Sb11 and Yb21Mn4Sb18. Here we measure and report...

New Zintl Phase Yb10MgSb9 with High Thermoelectric Performance

“…[ 31 ] The discovery of the new material, described as Yb 10 MnSb 9 (with some partial occupancy of Yb and Mn sites and a composition closer to Yb 10.5 MnSb 9 ) in 2021 introduces a new phase to the Yb‐Mn‐Sb ternary system. [ 32,33 ] This material has a complex crystal structure with both isolated Sb 3− anions as well as $${\rm{Sb}}_2^{2 - }$$ polyanion dimers and edge‐sharing pairs of MnSb 4 tetrahedra which is essentially the same as the structure reported here, shown in Figure 1 . This crystal structure belongs to the P 4 2 / mnm space group, which is the same as in other similar reported Ca‐containing Zintl antimonides, including Ca 10 M Sb 9 ( M = Ga, In, Mn, Zn) [ 34 ] and A 2 Ca 10 Sb 9 ( A = Li, Mg).…”

“…Yb 10 MnSb 9 was experimentally demonstrated to be a semiconductor with suitable weighted mobility and low thermal conductivity due to crystallographic complexity, suggesting potentially high thermoelectric performance. [ 33 ] Bulk polycrystalline samples of Yb 10 MnSb 9 exhibit a high p‐type Seebeck coefficient (200–300 µV K −1 at 600 K) which suggests that it is a semiconducting Zintl phase near a valence‐balanced composition. [ 32,33 ] Semiconducting Zintl phases [ 19 ] typically contain metalloid elements such as Sb that act like non‐metal anions or polyanions of the same group or electron count.…”

“…[ 33 ] Bulk polycrystalline samples of Yb 10 MnSb 9 exhibit a high p‐type Seebeck coefficient (200–300 µV K −1 at 600 K) which suggests that it is a semiconducting Zintl phase near a valence‐balanced composition. [ 32,33 ] Semiconducting Zintl phases [ 19 ] typically contain metalloid elements such as Sb that act like non‐metal anions or polyanions of the same group or electron count. For example, Sb 3− may act like N 3− or $${\rm{Sb}}_2^{4 - }$$ dimers like $${\rm{S}}_2^{2 - }$$ dimers.…”

“…Indeed, unknown XRD patterns that are similar to Yb 10 MnSb 9 reported in the Yb‐Mg‐Sb system upon Na‐doping [ 41 ] suggest a possible Mg analog. [ 33 ] Unlike magnetic Mn 2+ , which leads to spin disorder scattering and has detrimental effects on conductivity, Mg 2+ is considered to be a perfect substitute for Mn 2+ to improve conductivity, which is reflected in several studies of the 14‐1‐11 structure. [ 22,42,43 ]…”

Enhanced thermoelectric performance in Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3/SiC composites prepared by low-temperature liquid phase sintering

“…Many state-of-the-art materials have emerged, including SnSe, 9,10 PbTe, 11,12 SiGe, 13,14 half-Heusler alloy, 15,16 skutterudite, 17,18 oxides 19 (such as NaCo 2 O 4 , 20,21 CaMnO 3 , 22,23 ZnO, 24,25 and SrTiO 3 , 26,27 ), and Zintl. 28,29 Most of these materials are studied only in the laboratory and have a long way to go in terms of industrial production. 30 Bismuth telluride-based materials have been commercialized for a wide range of applications.…”