Enhanced antimony telluride thermoelectric generators: From material synthesis to device applications

This study investigates the effect of Bi₄O₄SeCl₂ (BOSC) addition (0–4 wt%) on the thermoelectric performance of p-type Bi₀.₅Sb₁.₅Te₃ synthesized via high-energy ball milling. XRD analysis revealed lattice incorporation at 1 wt% BOSC, while higher concentrations led to phase separation. The 1 wt% BOSC sample exhibited a significantly reduced total thermal conductivity of 0.28 W/m·K, compared to 0.46 W/m·K in the undoped sample, attributed to enhanced phonon scattering. Despite moderate decreases in electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient, a peak ZT of 1.02 at 50 °C was achieved—representing a ∼54 % improvement over the undoped material. Furthermore, a prototype thermoelectric module fabricated with BOSC-doped legs produced a power density of 17.6 mW/cm² under a 150 °C temperature gradient. These results demonstrate that BOSC is an effective additive for reducing thermal conductivity and enhancing overall thermoelectric performance, offering potential for energy harvesting applications at moderate temperatures.