title: Enhanced thermoelectric performance of In2O3-based ceramics via Nanostructuring and Point Defect Engineering.
abstract: The issue of how to improve the thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) in oxide semiconductors has been challenging for more than 20 years. In this work, we report an effective path to substantial reduction in thermal conductivity and increment in carrier concentration, and thus a remarkable enhancement in the ZT value is achieved. The ZT value of In2O3 system was enhanced 4-fold by nanostructuing (nano-grains and nano-inclusions) and point defect engineering. The introduction of point defects in In2O3 results in a glass-like thermal conductivity. The lattice thermal conductivity could be reduced by 60%, and extraordinary low lattice thermal conductivity (1.2 W m(-1) K(-1) @ 973 K) below the amorphous limit was achieved. Our work paves a path for enhancing the ZT in oxides by both the nanosturcturing and the point defect engineering for better phonon-glasses and electron-crystal (PGEC) materials.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Jin-Le
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.affiliation: 1] State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China [2] School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yaochun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yuan-Hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Ce-Wen
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Nan
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Xiaoping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang