Enhanced thermoelectric performance of hydrothermal synthesized Ag incorporated Cu2-xS micro/nano composites

Due to a lower intrinsic thermal conductivity , Cu 2 S-based thermoelectric materials are attracting extensive attention. However, they still confront the problem of higher electrical resistivity, which distinctly restricts their thermoelectric application. Herein, we synthesized Ag-incorporated Cu 2-x S micro/nano composites using a hydrothermal method . It was found that the doping of Ag nanoparticles could effectively enhance the electrical transport, while the generated nanopores , caused by the sintering of Ag nanoparticles during the SPS process, reduced the thermal conductivity. As a result, a maximum ZT value of ∼1.5 was obtained at 773 K in the Cu 2-x Ag δ S (δ = 0.5%) micro/nano composites, much higher than that of the pristine Cu 2-x S micro/nano composites. This work provides a new pathway to boosting thermoelectric performance through microstructural engineering.