title: Nanocomposites from Solution-Synthesized PbTe-BiSbTe Nanoheterostructure with Unity Figure of Merit at Low-Medium Temperatures (500-600 K).
abstract: A scalable, low-temperature solution process is used to synthesize precursor material for Pb-doped Bi0.7Sb1.3Te3thermoelectric nanocomposites. The controllable Pb-doping leads to the increase in the optical bandgap, thus delaying the onset of bipolar conduction. Furthermore, the solution synthesis enables nanostructuring, which greatly reduces thermal conductivity. As a result, this material exhibits a zT = 1 over the 513-613 K range.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA.
authors.forename: Biao
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
authors.forename: Matthias T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Agne
authors.affiliation: School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
authors.forename: Tianli
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Chasapis
authors.affiliation: School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
authors.forename: Xiulin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ruan
authors.affiliation: Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Building 62 Room 211, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
authors.forename: Yilong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Building 62 Room 211, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
authors.forename: Haimei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA.
authors.forename: Je-Hyeong
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Bahk
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
authors.forename: Mercouri G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Kanatzidis
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
authors.forename: Gerald Jeffrey
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Snyder
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA.
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
keywords: nanocomposites; nanoheterostructures; solution synthesis; thermoelectric