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Journal ArticleDOI

Recent progress of half-Heusler for moderate temperature thermoelectric applications

01 Oct 2013-Materials Today (Elsevier)-Vol. 16, Iss: 10, pp 387-395
TL;DR: In this paper, the synthesis methods for optimizing individual parameters to enhance the thermoelectric performance in both MNiSn and MCoSb based half-Heuslers are summarized.
About: This article is published in Materials Today.The article was published on 2013-10-01 and is currently open access. It has received 488 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Thermoelectric materials & Seebeck coefficient.
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Weyl and Dirac semimetals as discussed by the authors are three-dimensional phases of matter with gapless electronic excitations that are protected by topology and symmetry, and they have generated much recent interest.
Abstract: Weyl and Dirac semimetals are three-dimensional phases of matter with gapless electronic excitations that are protected by topology and symmetry. As three-dimensional analogs of graphene, they have generated much recent interest. Deep connections exist with particle physics models of relativistic chiral fermions, and, despite their gaplessness, to solid-state topological and Chern insulators. Their characteristic electronic properties lead to protected surface states and novel responses to applied electric and magnetic fields. The theoretical foundations of these phases, their proposed realizations in solid-state systems, and recent experiments on candidate materials as well as their relation to other states of matter are reviewed.

3,407 citations


Cites background from "Recent progress of half-Heusler for..."

  • ...Due to their ternary nature, these materials are an extremely tunable class of materials that show a vast array of interesting semi-conducting and semimetal (and even superconducting (Goll et al., 2008)) behavior with broad applications potential (Casper et al., 2012; Chen and Ren, 2013)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Novel concepts and paradigms are described here that have emerged, targeting superior TE materials and higher TE performance, including band convergence, "phonon-glass electron-crystal", multiscale phonon scattering, resonant states, anharmonicity, etc.
Abstract: The past two decades have witnessed the rapid growth of thermoelectric (TE) research. Novel concepts and paradigms are described here that have emerged, targeting superior TE materials and higher TE performance. These superior aspects include band convergence, "phonon-glass electron-crystal", multiscale phonon scattering, resonant states, anharmonicity, etc. Based on these concepts, some new TE materials with distinct features have been identified, including solids with high band degeneracy, with cages in which atoms rattle, with nanostructures at various length scales, etc. In addition, the performance of classical materials has been improved remarkably. However, the figure of merit zT of most TE materials is still lower than 2.0, generally around 1.0, due to interrelated TE properties. In order to realize an "overall zT > 2.0," it is imperative that the interrelated properties are decoupled more thoroughly, or new degrees of freedom are added to the overall optimization problem. The electrical and thermal transport must be synergistically optimized. Here, a detailed discussion about the commonly adopted strategies to optimize individual TE properties is presented. Then, four main compromises between the TE properties are elaborated from the point of view of the underlying mechanisms and decoupling strategies. Finally, some representative systems of synergistic optimization are also presented, which can serve as references for other TE materials. In conclusion, some of the newest ideas for the future are discussed.

1,014 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A high zT of ∼1.5 at 1,200 K is reported for the p-type FeNbSb heavy-band half-Heusler alloys with enhanced point-defect and electron–phonon scatterings and a significant reduction in the lattice thermal conductivity, highlighting the optimization strategy forheavy-band thermoelectric materials.
Abstract: Thermoelectric materials could be used to convert waste heat into useful electricity, but the ideal substance needs to both optimize the electrical power factor and suppress thermal conductivity. Here, the authors report a high figure of merit of 1.5 at 1,200 K in the p-type half-Heusler alloy FeNbSb.

862 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a review of thermoelectric generators is presented, as well as the future applications which are currently being studied in research laboratories or in industry and the main purpose of this paper is to clearly demonstrate that, almost anywhere in industry or in domestic uses, it is worth checking whether a TEG can be added whenever heat is moving from a hot source to a cold source.

854 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss some of the challenges that must be overcome to enable widespread use of thermoelectric power generation (TEG) devices, including thermal stability at the material level, and reliable contact at the device level.

426 citations

References
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A new era of complex thermoelectric materials is approaching because of modern synthesis and characterization techniques, particularly for nanoscale materials, and the strategies used to improve the thermopower and reduce the thermal conductivity are reviewed.
Abstract: Thermoelectric materials, which can generate electricity from waste heat or be used as solid-state Peltier coolers, could play an important role in a global sustainable energy solution. Such a development is contingent on identifying materials with higher thermoelectric efficiency than available at present, which is a challenge owing to the conflicting combination of material traits that are required. Nevertheless, because of modern synthesis and characterization techniques, particularly for nanoscale materials, a new era of complex thermoelectric materials is approaching. We review recent advances in the field, highlighting the strategies used to improve the thermopower and reduce the thermal conductivity.

8,999 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
02 May 2008-Science
TL;DR: Electrical transport measurements, coupled with microstructure studies and modeling, show that the ZT improvement is the result of low thermal conductivity caused by the increased phonon scattering by grain boundaries and defects, which makes these materials useful for cooling and power generation.
Abstract: The dimensionless thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) in bismuth antimony telluride (BiSbTe) bulk alloys has remained around 1 for more than 50 years. We show that a peak ZT of 1.4 at 100°C can be achieved in a p-type nanocrystalline BiSbTe bulk alloy. These nanocrystalline bulk materials were made by hot pressing nanopowders that were ball-milled from crystalline ingots under inert conditions. Electrical transport measurements, coupled with microstructure studies and modeling, show that the ZT improvement is the result of low thermal conductivity caused by the increased phonon scattering by grain boundaries and defects. More importantly, ZT is about 1.2 at room temperature and 0.8 at 250°C, which makes these materials useful for cooling and power generation. Cooling devices that use these materials have produced high-temperature differences of 86°, 106°, and 119°C with hot-side temperatures set at 50°, 100°, and 150°C, respectively. This discovery sets the stage for use of a new nanocomposite approach in developing high-performance low-cost bulk thermoelectric materials.

4,695 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: VESTA as mentioned in this paper is a cross-platform program for visualizing both structural and volumetric data in multiple windows with tabs, including isosurfaces, bird's-eye views and two-dimensional maps.
Abstract: A cross-platform program, VESTA, has been developed to visualize both structural and volumetric data in multiple windows with tabs. VESTA represents crystal structures by ball-and-stick, space-filling, polyhedral, wireframe, stick, dot-surface and thermal-ellipsoid models. A variety of crystal-chemical information is extractable from fractional coordinates, occupancies and oxidation states of sites. Volumetric data such as electron and nuclear densities, Patterson functions, and wavefunctions are displayed as isosurfaces, bird's-eye views and two-dimensional maps. Isosurfaces can be colored according to other physical quantities. Translucent isosurfaces and/or slices can be overlapped with a structural model. Collaboration with external programs enables the user to locate bonds and bond angles in the `graphics area', simulate powder diffraction patterns, and calculate site potentials and Madelung energies. Electron densities determined experimentally are convertible into their Laplacians and electronic energy densities.

4,172 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
25 Jul 2008-Science
TL;DR: A successful implementation through the use of the thallium impurity levels in lead telluride (PbTe) is reported, which results in a doubling of zT in p-type PbTe to above 1.5 at 773 kelvin.
Abstract: The efficiency of thermoelectric energy converters is limited by the material thermoelectric figure of merit (zT). The recent advances in zT based on nanostructures limiting the phonon heat conduction is nearing a fundamental limit: The thermal conductivity cannot be reduced below the amorphous limit. We explored enhancing the Seebeck coefficient through a distortion of the electronic density of states and report a successful implementation through the use of the thallium impurity levels in lead telluride (PbTe). Such band structure engineering results in a doubling of zT in p-type PbTe to above 1.5 at 773 kelvin. Use of this new physical principle in conjunction with nanostructuring to lower the thermal conductivity could further enhance zT and enable more widespread use of thermoelectric systems.

3,401 citations