Nanostructured Bi2Te3 synthesized by low temperature aqueous chemical route

Chemical and physical reactions during the low temperature aqueous chemical synthesis of nanostructured Bi₂Te₃ powders were investigated in-situ by pH measurement, color observation of the solution and X-ray diffraction analysis of the powders. It was found that Bi₂Te₃ could be synthesized only in a strong alkaline solution. Bi₂Te₃ nanocapsules were synthesized by the aqueous chemical route at 65 °C with the addition of disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate salt. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy observation indicates that the nanocapsules are hollow-structured with a wall thickness of about 6 nm. __________ Translated from CHIMICA SINICA, 2005, 63(16)(in Chinese)     

纳米结构Bi2Te3化合物的低温湿化学合成

通过对溶液pH值和颜色以及粉末结构的原位分析, 研究了低温湿化学Bi₂Te₃纳米粉末合成过程中的化学和物理反应机制. 结果表明, 碱性添加剂对合成Bi₂Te₃是必要的. 采用65 ℃低温湿化学合成方法, 在添加乙二胺四乙酸二钠(EDTA)的情况下, 制备了Bi₂Te₃纳米囊. 高分辨电镜观察表明, 这种内空管状结构纳米囊的壁厚约为6 nm.     

A New Strategy for Realizing the Conversion of “Homo–Hetero–Homo” Heteroepitaxial Growth in Bi2Te3 and the Thermoelectric Performance

Uncovering the reason for structure‐dependent thermoelectric performance still remains a big challenge. A low‐temperature and easily scalable strategy for synthesizing Bi₂Te₃ nanostring hierarchical structures through solution‐phase reactions, during which there is the conversion of “homo–hetero–homo” in Bi₂Te₃ heteroepitaxial growth, is reported. Bi₂Te₃ nanostrings are obtained through the transformation from pure Bi₂Te₃ hexagonal nanosheets followed by Te?Bi₂Te₃ “nanotop” heterostructures to Bi₂Te₃ nanostrings. The growth of Bi₂Te₃ nanostrings appears to be a self‐assembly process through a wavy competition process generated from Te and Bi³⁺. The conversion of homo–hetero–homo opens up new platforms to investigate the wet chemistry of Bi₂Te₃ nanomaterials. Furthermore, to study the effect of morphologies and hetero/homo structures, especially with the same origin and uniform conditions on their thermoelectric properties, the thermoelectric properties of Bi₂Te₃ nanostrings and Te?Bi₂Te₃ heterostructured pellets fabricated by spark plasma sintering have been investigated separately.     

Characterisation of electroplated Bi<Subscript>2</Subscript>(Te<Subscript>1−x</Subscript>Se<Subscript>x</Subscript>)<Subscript>3</Subscript> alloys

Composition modulated Bi₂(Te_1−xSe_x)₃ thin films were prepared on stainless steel substrates by cathodic electrodeposition. The composition was dependent on the deposition conditions. It was possible to obtain, in the same electrolyte, films with either an excess or a deficiency of bismuth in relation to stoichiometric Bi₂(Te_0.9Se_0.1)₃ by changing the deposition potential or the applied current density. The excess of bismuth was reached at the highest cathodic conditions. The variation of the crystallographic axis and the morphology with a granular structure were correlated with the presence of the Bi enrichment in the ternary. The crystallographic texture of bismuth telluride films was studied according to the electrodeposition conditions. The films presented a fibre texture, and a main orientation {11.0} was observed. Electrical and thermoelectric properties of a Bi_1.98Te_2.67Se_0.39 film were measured and showed an n-type behaviour.     

Electrochemical deposition of Bi<Subscript>2</Subscript>Te<Subscript>3</Subscript> for thermoelectric microdevices

The electrolyses of solutions of bismuth oxide and tellurium oxide in nitric acid with molar ratios of Bi:Te=3:3–4:3 lead to cathodic deposits of films of bismuth telluride (Bi₂Te₃), an n-type semiconductor. Current densities of 2–5 mA/cm² were applied. Voltammetric investigations showed that Bi₂Te₃ deposition occurred at potentials more negative than −0.125 V (Ag/AgCl, 3 M KCl). The deposit was identified as bismuth telluride (γ-phase) by X-ray analysis. Hall-effect measurements verified the n-type semiconducting behaviour. The films can be deposited in microstructures for thermoelectric microdevices like thermoelectric batteries or thermoelectric sensors.     

Bi2Te3-Te nanocomposite formed by epitaxial growth of Bi2Te3 sheets on Te rod

Single-crystal Bi₂Te₃-Te nanocomposites with heterostructure were synthesized using a two-step solvothermal process in the presence of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt. The first step is the formation of the Te nanorods and the second step is to grow the Bi₂Te₃ sheets off the Te rods surface to form the Bi₂Te₃-Te nanocomposites. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. We demonstrate a method of an epitaxial growth of Bi₂Te₃ nanosheets perpendicular to the axis of the central Te rod and a formation process of Bi₂Te₃-Te nanocomposites is also proposed.     

Structural and thermal properties of chemically synthesized Bi2Te3 nanoparticles

Bi₂Te₃ nanoparticles (NPs) have been synthesized at 50?°C by a low-cost wet chemical route. The structural properties of product sample were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy. Thermal properties of product sample were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric (TG), and transient plane source techniques. The XRD and selected area electron diffraction of Bi₂Te₃ NPs result showed the polycrystalline nature with a rhombohedral (R3m) structure of the nanocrystallites. The average grain size of Bi₂Te₃ NPs was found to be about 30?nm by XRD and TEM measurements. DSC result shows one endothermic peak and one exothermic peak. TG result shows that only 48?% mass loss has occurred in Bi₂Te₃ sample. The obtained lower thermal conductivity of Bi₂Te₃ NPs is about 0.3?W m^?1 K^?1 at room temperature, which is caused by considering the crystalline nature of this material.     

Unexpected Room‐Temperature Ferromagnetism in Nanostructured Bi2Te3

There is an urgent need for the development in the field of the magnetism of topological insulators, owing to the necessity for the realization of the quantum anomalous Hall effect. Herein, we discuss experimentally fabricated nanostructured hierarchical architectures of the topological insulator Bi₂Te₃ without the introduction of any exotic magnetic dopants, in which intriguing room‐temperature ferromagnetism was identified. First‐principles calculations demonstrated that the intrinsic point defect with respect to the antisite Te site is responsible for the creation of a magnetic moment. Such a mechanism, which is different from that of a vacancy defect, provides new insights into the origins of magnetism. Our findings may pave the way for developing future Bi₂Te₃‐based dissipationless spintronics and fault‐tolerant quantum computation.     

Tuning Optimum Temperature Range of Bi2Te3‐Based Thermoelectric Materials by Defect Engineering

Bi₂Te₃‐based solid solutions, which have been widely used as thermoelectric (TE) materials for the room temperature TE refrigeration, are also the potential candidates for the power generators with medium and low‐temperature heat sources. Therefore, depending on the applications, Bi₂Te₃‐based materials are expected to exhibit excellent TE properties in different temperature ranges. Manipulating the point defects in Bi₂Te₃‐based materials is an effective and important method to realize this purpose. In this review, we focus on how to optimize the TE properties of Bi₂Te₃‐based TE materials in different temperature ranges by defect engineering. Our calculation results of two‐band model revel that tuning the carrier concentration and band gap, which is easily realized by defects engineering, can obtain better TE properties at different temperatures. Then, the typical paradigms about optimizing the TE properties at different temperatures for n‐type and p‐type Bi₂Te₃‐based ZM ingots and polycrystals are discussed in the perspective of defects engineering. This review can provide the guidance to improve the TE properties of Bi₂Te₃‐based materials at different temperatures by defects engineering.     

Creating Zipper‐Like van der Waals Gap Discontinuity in Low‐Temperature‐Processed Nanostructured PbBi2nTe1+3n: Enhanced Phonon Scattering and Improved Thermoelectric Performance

Nanoengineered materials can embody distinct atomic structures which deviate from that of the bulk‐grain counterpart and induce significantly modified electronic structures and physical/chemical properties. The phonon structure and thermal properties, which can also be potentially modulated by the modified atomic structure in nanostructured materials, however, are seldom investigated. Employed here is a mild approach to fabricate nanostructured PbBi_2nTe_1+3n using a solution‐synthesized PbTe‐Bi₂Te₃ nano‐heterostructure as a precursor. The as‐obtained monoliths have unprecedented atomic structure, differing from that of the bulk counterpart, especially the zipper‐like van der Waals gap discontinuity and the random arrangement of septuple‐quintuple layers. These structural motifs break the lattice periodicity and coherence of phonon transport, leading to ultralow thermal conductivity and excellent thermoelectric z T.     

SnSbBiTe4-2Bi2Te3 join of the SnTe-Bi2Te3-Sb2Te3 quasi-ternary system

This is the first study of the SnSbBiTe₄-2Bi₂Te₃ join of the SnTe-Bi₂Te₃-Sb₂Te₃ quasi-ternary system by the methods of complex physicochemical analysis over a wide range of concentrations. A phase diagram was constructed for the title quasi-binary join. The system was found to be of the eutectic type; the eutectic coordinates are 65 mol % Bi₂Te₃ and 675 K. The starting components were shown to form solid solutions with extents of 20 mol %. Alloys with compositions lying within the Bi₂Te₃-based solid solution region were found to be n-type semiconductors.     

Homologous series of layered tetradymite-like compounds in Bi-Te and GeTe-Bi2Te3 systems

Formation of the homologous series of layered compounds nBi₂-mBi₂Te₃ and nGeTe mBi₂Te₃ is analyzed. For both series, the crystal structure contains two-layer (Bi2 or GeTe) and five-layer (Bi₂Te₃) packets perpendicular to the c axis. Unlike the Bi₂ packets, the GeTe packets do not retain their individuality during crystal structure formation; they are linked to the Bi₂Te₃ five-layer packets to form new multilayer packets leading to a considerable change in the character of interatomic interactions. Translated from Zhumal Struktumoi Khimii, Vol. 41, No. 1, pp. 97-105, January–February, 2000.     

Solution‐Based Synthesis of Layered Intergrowth Compounds of the Homologous PbmBi2nTe3n+m Series as Nanosheets

Layered intergrowth compounds in the homologous Pb_mBi_2nTe_3n+m family are interesting because they are examples of natural heterostructures. We present a simple solution‐based synthesis of two‐dimensional nanosheets of PbBi₂Te₄, Pb₂Bi₂Te₅, and PbBi₆Te₁₀ layered intergrowth compounds, which are members of the Pb_mBi_2nTe_3n+m [that is, (PbTe)_m(Bi₂Te₃)_n] homologous series. Few‐layer nanosheets exhibit narrow optical band gaps (0.25–0.7 eV) with semiconducting electronic‐transport properties.     

The Influence of Nanoscale Heterostructures on the Thermoelectric Properties of Bi‐substituted Tl5Te3

Tl_4.5Bi_0.5Te₃ crystallizes in a distorted variant of the Tl₅Te₃ structure type in the space group I4/m. The symmetry reduction compared to Tl₅Te₃ (space group I4/mcm) is a consequence of cation ordering as shown by resonant X‐ray scattering using synchrotron radiation. Tl and Bi predominantly occupy one Wyckoff site each. This ordering is accompanied by displacements of Te atoms. The influence of nanostructuring on the thermoelectric performance of Tl_4.5Bi_0.5Te₃ was investigated for the new composite model system Tl_4.5Bi_0.5Te₃ – TlInTe₂. For the nominal composition (Tl_4.5Bi_0.5Te₃)_0.6(TlInTe₂)_0.4, the thermoelectric Figure of merit ZT reaches 0.8 at 325 °C. Nanoscaled precipitates with sizes of about 100–200 nm probably have beneficial influence on the thermal conductivity at this temperature.     

Two-step synthesis of Bi2Te3-Te nanoarrays with sheet-rod multiple heterostructure

Bi₂Te₃-Te arrays with sheet-rod multiple heterostructure were obtained in large scale, using Te nanorod arrays as the in-situ templates under solvothermal process. The array is formed by the ordered Bi₂Te₃-Te rods where Bi₂Te₃ sheets distribute from the top face to the bottom face along the Te rod vertically. The microstructure of the heterostructure was studied through X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient of the arrays were also studied. The course of reaction was monitored so as to propose a possible growth mechanism of such novel heterostructure. The key for the preparation of such heterostructure is to balance the velocity between the dissolution of Te rods and the formation of Bi₂Te₃ sheets. This synthetic approach could be promising to prepare self-assembled low-dimensional nanoarrays of metals and semiconductors with high yield.     

Fine-Tuning Bi2Te3-Copper Selenide Alloys Enables an Efficient n-Type Thermoelectric Conversion

Bismuth tellurides is one of the most promising thermoelectric (TE) material candidates in low-temperature application circumstances, but the n-type thermoelectric property is relatively low compared to the p-type counterpart and still needs to be improved. Herein, we incorporated different copper selenides (CuSe, Cu₃Se₂ and Cu_2−xSe) into a Bi₂Te₃ matrix to create the alloy by grinding and successive sintering to enable higher thermoelectric performance. The results demonstrated that all alloys achieved n-type TE characteristics and Bi₂Te₃-CuSe exhibited the best Seebeck coefficient and power factor among them. Along with the low thermal conductivity, the maximum dimensionless TE figure of merit (ZT) value of 1.64 at 573 K was delivered for Bi₂Te₃-CuSe alloy, which is among the best reported results in the n-type Bi₂Te₃-based TE materials to the best of our knowledge. The improved TE properties should be related to the co-doping process of Se and Cu. Our investigation shows a new method to enhance the performance of n-type TE materials by appropriate co-doping or alloying.     

Thermoelectric properties of Ag-doped n-type (Bi2Te3)0.9-(Bi2−xAgxSe3)0.1 (x=0-0.4) alloys prepared by spark plasma sintering

Ag-doped n-type (Bi₂Te₃)_0.9-(Bi_2−xAg_xSe₃)_0.1 (x=0-0.4) alloys were prepared by spark plasma sintering and their physical properties evaluated. When at low Ag content (x=0.05), the temperature dependence of the lattice thermal conductivity follows the trend of (Bi₂Te₃)_0.9-(Bi₂Se₃)_0.1; while at higher Ag content, a relatively rapid reduction above 400 K can be observed due possibly to the enhancement of scattering of phonons by the increased defects. The Seebeck coefficient increases with Ag content, with some loss of electrical conductivity, but the maximum dimensionless figure of merit ZT can be obtained to be 0.86 for the alloy with x=0.4 at 505 K, about 0.2 higher than that of the alloy (Bi₂Te₃)_0.9-(Bi₂Se₃)_0.1 without Ag-doping.     

Synchrotron-radiation photoemission study of the V–VI layered compounds Bi2Te3, Bi2Se3, Sb2 Te3 and Sb2Te2Se

The valence band (VB) density of states and the binding energies of the weakly bound core levels have been measured by XUV photoelectron spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation for four V–VI layered compounds. Chemical shifts of the core levels are determined which support the partial ionicity of the bonds involved. The chemical shifts of the emission from two unequivalent crystal sites were shown to differ by less than 30 meV for the compounds Bi₂Te₃, Bi₂Se₃ and Sb₂Te₃.VB and core-level photoemission spectra for the V–VI compounds Bi₂Te₃, Bi₂Se₃, Sb₂Te₃ and Se₂Te₂Se have been presented. Chemical shifts of the Te 4d, Bi 5d, Sb 4d and Se 3d levels were determined, indicating partial ionicity of the mainly covalent bonds involved. Chemical-shift differences originating from atoms at two different crystal sites are <30 meV. In a simple model this implies that similar charge transfers do occur even though completely different bond orbitals were proposed for the and the AB⁽²⁾ bonds. Finally, the fact that no surface core-level shifts were observed tends to confirm the very weak influence of the van der Waals-like bonds on the B⁽²⁾ atoms.     

Crystal Structure of a New Cation-ordered Fluorite-related Phase: Bi2Te2WO10

Bi₂Te₂WO₁₀ crystallises in the monoclinic system (space group C2/c, Z = 4) with a = 12.4972(7) Å, b = 5.6414(3) Å, c = 12.2705(6) Å and β = 91.38(3)°. The structure has been solved by means of single crystal X-ray diffraction data analysis. The reliability factors are R1 = 0.030 and wR2 = 0.065 for 1258 structure factors and 70 parameters. The Bi₂Te₂WO₁₀ crystal structure can be described as a regular stacking along the Ox axis of polyhedral layers with the stereochemically active lone pairs E of the Bi^III and Te^IV atoms all located between these layers. The cohesion of the three-dimensional network is therefore only ensured between succesive layers by weak Bi? O(5) bonds.     

Template synthesis of heterostructured polyaniline/Bi2Te3 nanowires

Heterostructured polyaniline/Bi₂Te₃ nanowires have been prepared by chemical and electrochemical reactions on a porous alumina template. Its morphology and structure have been studied by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and electron probe microanalysis. The microscope analysis reveals that Bi₂Te₃ is well enveloped in polyaniline tubules in pores of alumina template. This microscopic material shows possible application in microthermoelectric device.