Improved thermoelectric performance of Bi2Te2.7Se0.3 with honey dispersion

Bi 2 Te 3 -based alloys are only commercial thermoelectric materials. While, currently, n -type Bi 2 Te 2 . 7 Se 0 . 3 -based alloys commonly have lower ZT values than those of p -type Bi 0 . 5 Sb 1 . 5 Te 3 based alloys. In this paper, the influence of different amounts of dispersing honey on the thermoelectric performance of n -type Bi 2 Te 2 . 7 Se 0 . 3 alloys synthesized by the hydrothermal and hot-pressing methods was investigated. The carbon atoms contained in honey could increase lattice defects and grain boundary density effectively, and improved the Seebeck coefficient and suppress lattice thermal conductivity simultaneously. By adjusting the amount of honey, the maximum ZT value reached 0.82 at 423 K, which was approximately 65% higher than that of the pristine Bi 2 Te 2.7 Se 0.3 .