ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
·
2025
·
IF 8.2
Qingyang Jian,Yaru Gong,Chen Chen,Rongxin Sun,Song Zhao,Tao Shen,Qingtang Zhang,Yang Geng,Yanan Li,Wei Dou,Congmin Liang,Yuqi Liu,Deshang Xiang,Pan Ying,Guodong Tang
Cu2Se has emerged as a promising thermoelectric material due to its low lattice thermal conductivity, high Seebeck coefficient, and high peak figure of merit (ZT) at elevated temperatures. However, its performance is limited by a high intrinsic carrier concentration and low carrier mobility. In this work, we investigate Cu2Se-based composites to overcome these challenges by introducing GeTe as compound phase to optimize carrier concentration, enhance mobility, and promote phonon scattering. The incorporation of GeTe significantly optimized both carrier concentration and mobility, with the Cu2Se/5 wt % GeTe composite exhibiting a carrier mobility of 30.8 cm2·V–1·s–1, more than twice that of pristine Cu2Se (11.4 cm2·V–1·s–1). Additionally, the inclusion of GeTe substantially reduced both the electrical and lattice thermal conductivity across the entire temperature range. These improvements culminated in a peak ZT of 2.2 at 923 K for the Cu2Se/10 wt % GeTe composite. These findings underscore the effectiveness of utilizing high-performance thermoelectric materials, such as GeTe, as secondary phases to substantially boost the thermoelectric properties of Cu2Se. This approach offers a promising pathway for the development of advanced thermoelectric materials for energy conversion applications.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
能源转换技术
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Nature Communications
·
2024
·Vol. 15
·期 1
·1-10
·
IF 14.7
Jiang Yilin,Su Bin,Yu Jincheng,Han Zhanran,Hu Haihua,Zhuang Hua-Lu,Li Hezhang,Dong Jinfeng,Li Jing-Wei,Wang Chao,Ge Zhen-Hua,Feng Jing,Sun Fu-Hua,Li Jing-Feng
GeTe is a promising p-type material with increasingly enhanced thermoelectric properties reported in recent years, demonstrating its superiority for mid-temperature applications. In this work, the thermoelectric performance of GeTe is improved by a facile composite approach. We find that incorporating a small amount of boron particles into the Bi-doped GeTe leads to significant enhancement in power factor and simultaneous reduction in thermal conductivity, through which the synergistic modulation of electrical and thermal transport properties is realized. The thermal mismatch between the boron particles and the matrix induces high-density dislocations that effectively scatter the mid-frequency phonons, accounting for a minimum lattice thermal conductivity of 0.43 Wm −1 K −1 at 613 K. Furthermore, the presence of boron/GeTe interfaces modifies the interfacial potential barriers, resulting in increased Seebeck coefficient and hence enhanced power factor (25.4 μWcm −1 K −2 at 300 K). Consequently, we obtain a maximum figure of merit Z max of 4.0 × 10 −3 K −1 at 613 K in the GeTe-based composites, which is the record-high value in GeTe-based thermoelectric materials and also superior to most of thermoelectric systems for mid-temperature applications. This work provides an effective way to further enhance the performance of GeTe-based thermoelectrics.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
热电学
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
Journal of Materiomics
·
2024
·
IF 8.4
Xusheng Liu,Keli Wang,Peng Li,Qiqi Tang,Zhenlong Huang,Yuan Lin,Wu Wang,Binbin Jiang,Jiaqing He
Entropy engineering has emerged as an effective strategy for improving the figure-of-merit zT by decelerating the phonon transport while maintaining good electrical transport properties of thermoelectric materials. Herein, a high average zT of 1.54 and a maximum zT of 2.1 are achieved in the mid-entropy GeTe constructed by Ag, Sb, and Pb alloying. At room temperature, the mid-entropy GeTe tends to be a cubic structure. And the power factor is improved from 7.7 μW·cm −1 ·K −2 to 16.2 μW·cm −1 ·K −2 due to the large increase in effective mass and the optimized carrier concentration. The increasing disorder created by heavy and off-centering Ag, Sb, and Pb atoms induces strong mass/strain fluctuations and phonon scattering to decelerate the phonon transport in GeTe. A low lattice thermal conductivity is obtained in the medium-entropy GeTe-based material. Moreover, a GeTe-based thermoelectric cooler is fabricated with the cooling temperature difference of 66.6 K with the hot end fixed at 363 K. This work reveals the effectiveness of entropy engineering in improving the average zT in GeTe and shows potential application of GeTe as a thermoelectric cooler.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
热电材料研究
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
·
2020
·
IF 8.758
Xin Zhang,Fulai Zhao,Yu Wang,Xuejing Liang,Zhixing Zhang,Yiyu Feng,Yu Li,Lin Tang,Wei Feng
As a key method to convert solar into chemical energy, photocatalytic water decomposition has garnered attention. Moreover, the development of graphene and graphene-like two-dimensional (2D) materials has brought fresh vitality in the field of photocatalysis. Here, we prepared two to four layers of GeTe nanosheets by ultrasonic-assisted liquid-phase exfoliation in argon and air, which we referred to as Ar-GeTe and O-GeTe, respectively. The photocatalytic hydrogen production potential of 2D GeTe was experimentally investigated for the first time. The results indicated that minimally layered GeTe samples are indirect-gap semiconductors with the GeTe band gap increasing after oxidation. All samples have suitable band positions that can drive photocatalytic water splitting into H2 under mild conditions, providing maximum hydrogen evolution rates of 1.13 mmol g–1 h–1 (Ar-GeTe) and 0.54 mmol g–1 h–1 (O-GeTe). With density functional theory computations, the structural stability of GeTe in air was discussed, revealing that oxygen atoms could easily combine with Ge to form a more stable structure, thus impacting the photocatalytic performance of 2D GeTe. Therefore, the light requirement and oxygen deficiency of the material give an advantage in the field of energy supply in space.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
光催化
·
能源转换
·
纳米技术
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
·
2023
·Vol. 33
·期 20
·2214771
·
IF 19
Jun Pei,Jian-Lei Shi,Hezhang Li,Yilin Jiang,Jinfeng Dong,Hua-Lu Zhuang,Bowen Cai,Bin Su,Jincheng Yu,Wei Zhou,Bo-Ping Zhang,Jing-Feng Li
GeTe and (Bi,Sb) 2 Te 3 are two representative thermoelectric (TE) materials showing maximum performance at middle and low temperature, respectively. In order to achieve higher performance over the whole temperature range, their segmented one-leg TE modules are designed and fabricated by one-step spark plasma sintering (SPS). To search for contact and connect layers, the diffusion behavior of Fe, Ni, Cu, and Ti metal layers in GeTe is studied systematically. The results show that Ti with a similar linear expansivity (10.80 × 10 −6 K −1 ) to GeTe, has low contact resistance (3 µΩ cm 2 ) and thin diffusion layer (0.4 µm), and thus is an effective metallization layer for GeTe. The geometric structure of the GeTe/(Bi,Sb) 2 Te 3 segmented one-leg TE module and the ratio of GeTe to (Bi,Sb) 2 Te 3 are determined by finite element simulation method. When the GeTe height ratio is 0.66, its theoretical maximum conversion efficiency (η max ) can reach 15.9% without considering the thermal radiation and thermal/electrical contact resistance. The fabricated GeTe/(Bi,Sb) 2 Te 3 segmented one-leg TE module showed a η max up to 9.5% with a power density ≈ 7.45 mW mm −2 , which are relatively high but lower than theoretical predictions, indicating that developing segmented TE modules is an effective approach to enhance TE conversion efficiency.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
热电学
·
能量转换
·
固体物理
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
Materials Today Communications
·
2025
·
IF 4.5
Junyan Lin,Lele Chen,Chubin Li,Zuyun Chen,Jiapei Yang,Yuqi Zeng,Yuanxin Jiang,Yu Zhang,Weiwei Xing,Jiye Zhang,Jian-Guo Chen,Kai Guo
Grain boundaries or phase boundaries, which play a pivotal role in decoupling electrical and thermal transport, are frequently engineered to regulate thermoelectric performance. Although extensive research has been conducted on their composition, density, coherency, and width, relatively limited attention has been paid to the strategic utilization of local electric fields at these interfaces for manipulating charge carrier and phonon transport. By incorporating piezoelectric material Pb(Zr 0.50 Ti 0.44 Fe 0.06 )O 3 into thermoelectric material Ge 0.94 Sb 0.06 Te, a local electric field is generated that effectively impedes the transport of low-energy holes. This innovative approach results in a noteworthy enhancement of the Seebeck coefficients in the composites without compromising electrical conductivity. Consequently, an improvement in zT values can be achieved for the sample Ge 0.94 Sb 0.06 Te+ 0.3 wt% Pb(Zr 0.50 Ti 0.44 Fe 0.06 )O 3 , showing a 15 % increase compared to the sample without Pb(Zr 0.50 Ti 0.44 Fe 0.06 )O 3 . Simulation results further corroborate the practical significance of this approach, predicting an impressive conversion efficiency of 10.7 % for a single-leg thermoelectric device, thereby underscoring its considerable potential for power generation applications.
研究领域:
材料科学
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热电材料
·
固体物理
·
纳米技术
·
能量转换
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Joule
·
2026
·
IF 37.1
Xusheng Liu,Peng Li,Binbin Jiang,Chengran Luo,Yajun Wang,Linlong Liang,Qiqi Tang,Baohai Jia,Hongyi Chen,Zhenlong Huang,Guang Yao,Wu Wang,Yuan Lin,Jiaqing He
Thermodynamic decomposition of thermoelectric (TE) materials is the core problem in TE power generation applications, which is the spontaneous result of lowering the system’s Gibbs free energy. Here, the negative-enthalpy strategy was proposed to improve both the thermodynamic stability and TE performance of GeTe-based materials. Multielement doping of negative mixing enthalpy elements at cation sites induces the local chemical ordering of atoms and vacancies, resulting in a stabilized lattice and an increased energy barrier for atomic diffusion. Meanwhile, the multiscale composition fluctuations dominated by the enthalpy-entropy competition provide the scattering for full-spectrum phonons, resulting in the ultralow lattice thermal conductivity and an exceptional zT of 2.7 at 800 K for the Ge 0.79 Mg 0.06 Cu 0.04 Sb 0.04 Pb 0.09 Te sample. Due to the improved thermodynamic stability and TE performance, a record-high experimental efficiency of 16% was achieved for the fabricated modules. This work provides valuable insights into the negative-enthalpy strategy for achieving thermodynamically stable and high-performance TE materials.
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
Nanomaterials
·
2024
·Vol. 14
·期 8
·722
·
IF 4.4
Zhengtang Cai,Kaipeng Zheng,Chun Ma,Yu Fang,Yuyang Ma,Qinglin Deng,Han Li
Compared to SnTe and PbTe base materials, the GeTe matrix exhibits a relatively high Seebeck coefficient and power factor but has garnered significant attention due to its poor thermal transport performance and environmental characteristics. As a typical p-type IV–VI group thermoelectric material, W-doped GeTe material can bring additional enhancement to thermoelectric performance. In this study, the introduction of W, Ge1−xWxTe (x= 0, 0.002, 0.005, 0.007, 0.01, 0.03) resulted in the presence of high-valence state atoms, providing additional charge carriers, thereby elevating the material’s power factor to a maximum PFpeakof approximately 43 μW cm−1K−2, while slightly optimizing the Seebeck coefficient of the solid solution. Moreover, W doping can induce defects and promote slight rhombohedral distortion in the crystal structure of GeTe, further reducing the lattice thermal conductivityκlatto as low as approximately 0.14 W m−1K−1(x= 0.002 at 673 K), optimizing it to approximately 85% compared to the GeTe matrix. This led to the formation of a p-type multicomponent composite thermoelectric material with ultra-low thermal conductivity. Ultimately, W doping achieves the comprehensive enhancement of the thermoelectric performance of GeTe base materials, with the peak ZT value of sample Ge0.995W0.005Te reaching approximately 0.99 at 673 K, and the average ZT optimized to 0.76 in the high-temperature range of 573–723 K, representing an increase of approximately 17% compared to pristine GeTe within the same temperature range.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
能源材料
·
热电材料
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Energy & Environmental Science
·
2025
·
IF 30.8
Kai Xu,Yuntian Fu,Wusheng Zuo,Meng Jiang,Xin Ai,Shun Wan,Hongyi Chen,Xiaofang Lu,Lianjun Wang,Qihao Zhang,Wan Jiang
The practical deployment of GeTe-based thermoelectrics has long been constrained by phase instability at elevated temperatures and severe interfacial degradation due to chemical diffusion and thermal expansion mismatches. Previous efforts to stabilize the high-performance cubic phase often result in incomplete phase suppression or compromised transport properties, while conventional electrode interface strategies exhibit poor thermomechanical reliability and inconsistent diffusion barriers. Here, we present a fully stabilized cubic GeTe system through Mn–Sb co-doping, maintaining phase stability from 300 to 750 K while simultaneously optimizing carrier concentration and electronic/thermal transport properties. This material achieves a peak zT of 1.73 at 773 K and an average zT of 1.0 across the operating range. To address interfacial instability, we introduce a cobalt diffusion barrier via magnetron sputtering, ensuring uniform coverage, good thermomechanical robustness, and a low contact resistivity of 5.2 μΩ cm2. These advancements enable the development of GeTe-based thermoelectric modules with an efficiency of 12.2% under a 480 K temperature gradient. By integrating precise phase stabilization with robust interface engineering, this study provides a viable pathway for mid-temperature waste heat recovery and reliable thermoelectric energy conversion.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
热电学
·
固体物理
·
能源材料
·
功能材料
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Science Advances
·
2023
·Vol. 9
·期 17
·
IF 13.6
Chengyan Liu,Zhongwei Zhang,Ying Peng,Fucong Li,Lei Miao,Eiji Nishibori,Raju Chetty,Xiaobo Bai,Ruifan Si,Jie Gao,Xiaoyang Wang,Yanqiu Zhu,Nannan Wang,Haiqiao Wei,Takao Mori
By the fine manipulation of the exceptional long-range germanium-telluride (Ge─Te) bonding through charge transfer engineering, we have achieved exceptional thermoelectric (TE) and mechanical properties in lead-free GeTe. This chemical bonding mechanism along with a semiordered zigzag nanostructure generates a notable increase of the average zT to a record value of ~1.73 in the temperature range of 323 to 773 K with ultrahigh maximum zT ~ 2.7. In addition, we significantly enhanced the Vickers microhardness numbers (Hv) to an extraordinarily high value of 247 Hv and effectively eliminated the thermal expansion fluctuation at the phase transition, which was problematic for application, by the present charge transfer engineering process and concomitant formation of microstructures. We further fabricated a single-leg TE generator and obtained a conversion efficiency of ~13.4% at the temperature difference of 463 K on a commercial instrument, which is located at the pinnacle of TE conversion.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
能源技术
✓ 已验证
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Materials
·
2026
·Vol. 19
·期 7
·1345
·
IF 3.7
Lawrence Yongo Methodius Emiliano,Yilin Jiang,Hua-Lu Zhuang,Hezhang Li,Chen Chen,Su-Wei Zhang,Yuzuru Miyazaki,Jing-Feng Li
Thermoelectric (TE) materials offer a promising route for direct thermal-to-electrical energy conversion via the Seebeck effect. Among them, GeTe exhibits superior performance in the mid-temperature range (500–800 K), whereas (Bi,Sb)2Te3is widely regarded as the benchmark material for near low-temperature applications (< 450 K). To improve TE efficiency over a wider temperature range, segmented GeTe/(Bi,Sb)2Te3-based single-leg TE devices were developed. Specifically, based on nanocomposite technology, B4C and SiC nanoparticles were, respectively, introduced into GeTe and (Bi,Sb)2Te3, achieving optimization of electrical conductivity alongside reduction in thermal conductivity, thereby enhancing the thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT). Finite element simulations were used to optimize the geometric structure of the segmented device, determining the ideal ratio of GeTe to (Bi,Sb)2Te3. The simulations predicted a maximum conversion efficiency (ηmax) of 16.9% when the ratio of GeTe to (Bi,Sb)2Te3was 0.24, with a power density of 18.5 mW/mm2. Experimentally, the fabricated segmented device attained a peak conversion efficiency of 7.14% and a power density of 12.5 mW/mm2under a hot-side temperature of 773 K. These findings confirm that strategic segmentation, combined with nanoscale phonon scattering engineering, substantially improves overall TE device performance across broad temperature range, underscoring its potential for high-efficiency thermoelectric energy conversion systems.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Materials Today Physics
·
2023
·
IF 11.5
Ruifan Si,Zhongwei Zhang,Chengyan Liu,Ying Peng,Xiaobo Bai,Baoquan Feng,Junliang Chen,Jie Gao,Lei Miao
With developing of thermoelectric (TE) performance, GeTe-based TE materials present great promising application at medium temperatures as a replacement for toxic PbTe. However, the further improvement of TE properties is severely constrained by the coupling of electron and phonon transport. In this study, we achieve decoupled electron and phonon transport by effectively creating a special phase boundary to scatter phonon but transmit electron by implanting multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into Bi-doped GeTe. With the help of this decoupling mechanism, the power factor is effectively improved and reaches up to ∼4482 μW −1 m −1 K −2 at 673 K while the thermal conductivity shows an obvious drop to ∼1.27 W m −1 K −1 at 723 K, leading to an impressive increase in zT to a maximum value of ∼2.3 at 723 K. In particular, a competitive average zT value of ∼1.43 in the temperature range of 323–773 K is obtained, which is at a high level in lead-free GeTe-based materials. Our method could be used as a guidance for the decoupling of electron and phonon transport in other TE materials .
研究领域:
材料科学
·
凝聚态物理
·
能源材料
·
热电转换
·
纳米复合材料
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）