title: Improving the zT value of thermoelectrics by nanostructuring: tuning the nanoparticle morphology of Sb2Te3by using ionic liquids.
abstract: A systematic study on the microwave-assisted thermolysis of the single source precursor (Et2Sb)2Te (1) in different asymmetric 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium- and symmetric 1,3-dialkylimidazolium-based ionic liquids (ILs) reveals the distinctive role of both the anion and the cation in tuning the morphology and microstructure of the resulting Sb2Te3nanoparticles as evidenced by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). A comparison of the electrical and thermal conductivities as well as the Seebeck coefficient of the Sb2Te3nanoparticles obtained from different ILs reveals the strong influence of the specific IL, from which C4mimI was identified as the best solvent, on the thermoelectric properties of as-prepared nanosized Sb2Te3. This work provides design guidelines for ILs, which allow the synthesis of nanostructured thermoelectrics with improved performances.
authors.affiliation: Inorganic Chemistry III - Materials Synthesis and Characterization, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, DE-44801, Bochum, Germany. mudring@iastate.edu and Faculty of Chemistry and Center for NanoIntegration (CENIDE), University of Duisburg-Essen, DE-45117 Essen, Germany. stephan.schulz@uni-due.de.
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schaumann
authors.affiliation: Inorganic Chemistry III - Materials Synthesis and Characterization, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, DE-44801, Bochum, Germany. mudring@iastate.edu and Faculty of Chemistry and Center for NanoIntegration (CENIDE), University of Duisburg-Essen, DE-45117 Essen, Germany. stephan.schulz@uni-due.de.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Loor
authors.affiliation: Inorganic Chemistry III - Materials Synthesis and Characterization, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, DE-44801, Bochum, Germany. mudring@iastate.edu.
authors.forename: Derya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ünal
authors.affiliation: Inorganic Chemistry III - Materials Synthesis and Characterization, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, DE-44801, Bochum, Germany. mudring@iastate.edu and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Iowa State University and Ames Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2800-1684
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mudring
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Chemistry and Center for NanoIntegration (CENIDE), University of Duisburg-Essen, DE-45117 Essen, Germany. stephan.schulz@uni-due.de.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heimann
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Center for Analytics on the Nanoscale (ICAN), NETZ, University of Duisburg-Essen, Carl-Benz-Str. 199, 47047 Duisburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hagemann
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Chemistry and Center for NanoIntegration (CENIDE), University of Duisburg-Essen, DE-45117 Essen, Germany. stephan.schulz@uni-due.de.
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2896-4488
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Engineering and Center for NanoIntegration (CENIDE), University of Duisburg-Essen, Bismarckstr. 81, DE-47057 Duisburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Franziska
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Maculewicz
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Engineering and Center for NanoIntegration (CENIDE), University of Duisburg-Essen, Bismarckstr. 81, DE-47057 Duisburg, Germany and Institute for Metallic Materials, IFW Dresden, P.O. Box 270116, D-01171 Dresden, Germany. g.schierning@ifw-dresden.de.
authors.forename: Gabi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schierning