A homogeneous composite approach for improved thermoelectric performance: Repressing lattice thermal conductivity in substoichiometric WO2.90 and WO2.72

Tran, Nhat Quang Minh; Pham, Anh Tuan Thanh; Nguyen, Cuong Chi; Tran, Tien Thuy Nguyen; Lai, Hoa Thi; Le, Thu Bao Nguyen; Jayasankar, Chalicheemalapalli Kulala; Pecharapa, Wisanu; Phan, Thang Bach

doi:10.1016/j.ceramint.2023.10.065

A homogeneous composite approach for improved thermoelectric performance: Repressing lattice thermal conductivity in substoichiometric WO2.90 and WO2.72

Author(s)

Tran, Nhat Quang Minh

Pham, Anh Tuan Thanh

Nguyen, Cuong Chi

Tran, Tien Thuy Nguyen

Lai, Hoa Thi

Le, Thu Bao Nguyen

Jayasankar, Chalicheemalapalli Kulala

Pecharapa, Wisanu

Phan, Thang Bach

Date Issued

December 15, 2023

Type

Article

DOI

10.1016/j.ceramint.2023.10.065

Abstract

Nanostructured phonon-glass thermoelectric materials are highly sought after for heat waste recovery applications. This work introduces a novel phonon-glass multi-phase ceramic material synthesized from sintered mixtures of two sub-stoichiometric tungsten oxides, WO2.90 and WO2.72. Notable measurements were recorded for our sample, denoted as 0.1WO2.72/0.9WO2.90, at 800 °C, with S²σ = 0.51 ± 0.03 mWm⁻¹K⁻², representing a tenfold increase compared to the base materials. The lattice thermal conductivity, already displaying phonon-glass characteristics, is further suppressed by the addition of the secondary WO2.72 pentacolumn phase, reaching its lowest value at 0.54 ± 0.25 Wm⁻¹K⁻¹. As a result, the ZT value is enhanced to twice the intrinsic value of the pristine phase. This study demonstrates a novel strategy for improving the thermoelectric performance of oxide-based materials by leveraging a synergistic relationship among several key factors, including phonon-glass nanostructures, tunable electrical properties, and the reduction of lattice thermal conductivity within a homogeneous composite system.

Citation

Ceramics International, 49(24), 40804-40813, 2023