Graphene for Thermoelectric Applications: Prospects and Challenges

Thermoelectric power generators require high-efficiency thermoelectric materials to transform waste heat into usable electrical energy. An efficient thermoelectric material should have high Seebeck coefficient and excellent electrical conductivity as well as low thermal conductivity. Graphene, the first truly 2D nanomaterial, exhibits unique properties which suit it for use in thermoelectric power generators, but its application in thermoelectrics is limited by the high thermal conductivity and low Seebeck coefficient resulting from its gapless spectrum. However, with the possibility of modification of graphene's band structure to enhance Seebeck coefficient and the reduction of its thermal conductivity, it is an exciting prospect for application in thermoelectric power generation. This article examines the electronic, optical, thermal, and thermoelectric properties of graphene systems. The factors that contribute to these material properties in graphene systems like charge carriers scattering mechanisms are discussed. A salient aspect of this article is a synergistic perspective on the reduction of thermal conductivity and improvement of Seebeck coefficient of graphene for a higher thermoelectric energy conversion efficiency. In this regard, the effect of graphene nanostructuring and doping, forming of structural defects, as well as graphene integration into a polymer matrix on its thermal conductivity and Seebeck coefficient is elucidated.     

Energy band and charge-carrier engineering in skutterudite thermoelectric materials

The binary CoSb₃ skutterudite thermoelectric material has high thermal conductivity due to the covalent bond between Co and Sb, and the thermoelectric figure of merit, ZT, is very low. The thermal conductivity of CoSb₃ materials can be significantly reduced through phonon engineering, such as low-dimensional structure, the introduction of nano second phases, nanointerfaces or nanopores, which greatly improves their ZT values. The phonon engineering can optimize significantly the thermal transport properties of CoSb₃-based materials. However, the improvement of the electronic transport properties is not obvious, or even worse. Energy band and charge-carrier engineering can significantly improve the electronic transport properties of CoSb₃-based materials while optimizing the thermal transport properties. Therefore, the decoupling of thermal and electronic transport properties of CoSb₃-based materials can be realized by energy band and charge-carrier engineering. This review summarizes some methods of optimizing synergistically the electronic and thermal transport properties of CoSb₃ materials through the energy band and charge-carrier engineering strategies. Energy band engineering strategies include band convergence or resonant energy levels caused by doping/filling. The charge-carrier engineering strategy includes the optimization of carrier concentration and mobility caused by doping/filling, forming modulation doped structures or introducing nano second phase. These strategies are effective means to improve performance of thermoelectric materials and provide new research ideas of development of high-efficiency thermoelectric materials.     

硒化亚铜薄膜热电性能研究进展

热电材料可以实现热能和电能的相互转换,它是一种环境友好的功能性材料.当前,热电材料的热电转换效率低,这严重制约了热电器件的大规模应用,因此寻找更加优异热电性能的新材料或提高传统热电材料的热电性能成为热电研究的主题.与块状材料相比,薄膜具有二维的宏观性质和一维的纳米结构特性,方便研究材料的物理机制与性能的关系,还适用于制备可穿戴电子设备.本文总结了Cu₂Se薄膜5种不同的制备方法,包括电化学沉积、热蒸发、旋涂、溅射以及脉冲激光沉积.另外,结合典型事例,总结了薄膜的表征手段,并从Cu₂Se的电导率、塞贝克系数和热导率等参数出发,讨论了各个参数对热电性能的影响机制.最后介绍了Cu₂Se薄膜热电的热门应用方向.     

Electronic and thermoelectric properties of zigzag and armchair boron nitride nanotubes in the presence of C island

Electronic and thermoelectric properties of zigzag and armchair single wall Boron Nitride Nanotubes (SWBNNTs) are investigated with and without one hexagonal carbon island by using first density functional theory (DFT), which is carried out in the Quantum Espresso packages. The ZSWBNNTs and ASWBNNTs show semiconductor and insulator behaviors, respectively along with a direct bandgap at the Γ point in the pristine cases. The obtained results display that this island is affected and altered to the electronic and thermoelectric properties of all systems. The behaviors of all systems are turning to semiconductor and the electronic band gaps are reduced with the C island which enables to use these doped materials in various applications. Meanwhile, the thermoelectric parameters, such as Seebeck coefficient (S), thermoelectric figure of Merit (ZT), phonon thermal conductance (K_ph), electrons thermal conductance (K_e), and thermal conductivity of all systems are calculated and studied with and without the C island. The results show that all these thermoelectric properties are related directly to the diameter of the ZSWBNNTs and ASWBNNTs.     

Insights into structural,electronic, optical and thermoelectric properties of WB and WAlB: a first principle study

Detailed investigations on structural, electronic, optical and thermoelectric properties of WB and WAlB have been done by using a full-potential linearised augmented plane wave method. Different approximations have been used to treat the exchange–correlation potential. The PBEsol-GGA method is found to be the most suitable for WB and WAlB. The obtained values of the equilibrium structural parameters such as lattice constants, volume and bulk modulus are in good agreement with the available experimental and theoretical data. The results of electronic charge density plots show that WB has a strong covalent bond between B-B and an ionic bond between W-B. In case of WAlB, the distance between any two atoms is more than the corresponding interatomic distance in WB. The band structure and density of states around the fermi level suggest that WB has a metallic nature and WAlB has a semimetal-like character. The optical properties are determined and analysed in detail for the first time. The larger reflectivity in the low-energy region (infrared) indicates that these materials can be used as a coating material to remove solar heating. The effects of temperature on thermoelectric parameters are also studied for the first time. High value power factor and high thermal conductivity suggest that WB and WAlB are potential candidates for thermoelectric technological applications.     

Thermoelectric properties and electronic structure of Al-doped ZnO

Impure ZnO materials are of great interest for high temperature thermoelectric application. In this work, we present the effects of Al-doping on the thermoelectric properties and electronic structures of a ZnO system. We find that, with increasing Al concentrations, the electrical conductivity increases and the thermal conductivity decreases significantly, whereas, the Seebeck coefficient decreases slightly. Nevertheless, the figure of merit (ZT) increases owing to high electrical conductivity and low thermal conductivity. On the other hand, the electronic band structures show that the position of the Fermi level is moved upwards and the bands split near the valence-band top and conduction-band bottom. This is due to the interaction between the Al3p and Zn4s orbitals, which drive the system towards semimetal. Besides, the Density Of States (DOS) analysis shows that the introduction of Al atom obviously reduces the slope d(DOS)/dE near the Fermi level. Based on the calculated band structures, we are able to explain qualitatively the measured transport properties of the Al-doped ZnO system.     

Nanotube phonon waveguide

We find that the high thermal conductivity of carbon nanotubes remains intact under severe structural deformations while the corresponding electrical resistance and thermoelectric power show compromised responses. Similar robust thermal transport against bending is found for boron nitride nanotubes. Surprisingly, for both systems the phonon mean free path exceeds the characteristic length of structural ripples induced by bending and approaches the theoretical limit set by the radius of curvature. The robustness of heat conduction in nanotubes refines the ultimate limit that is far beyond the reach of ordinary materials.     

Dynamical stability,electronic and thermoelectric properties of quaternary ZnFeTiSi Heusler compound

We investigated the dynamical stability, electronic and thermoelectric properties of the ZnFeTiSi Heusler compound by combining the first-principles calculations and semi-classical Boltzmann transport theory. The phonon dispersion indicates the dynamical stability and the calculated formation energy is negative which confirm the stability of ZnFeTiSi in the Heusler structure. The calculated electronic structures show that ZnFeTiSi is a semiconductor with an indirect band gap of about 0.573 eV using GGA and 0.643 eV by mBJ-GGA potentials at equilibrium lattice parameter (5.90 Å). Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity and electronic thermal conductivity were calculated to describe the thermoelectric properties of the ZnFeTiSi compound. It is found that it exhibits high Seebeck coefficient and power factor, making it promising for future thermoelectric applications.     

Phonon considerations in the reduction of thermal conductivity in phononic crystals

Periodic porous structures offer unique material solutions to thermoelectric applications. With recent interest in phonon band gap engineering, these periodic structures can result in reduction of the phonon thermal conductivity due to coherent destruction of phonon modes characteristic in phononic crystals. In this paper, we numerically study phonon transport in periodic porous silicon phononic crystal structures. We develop a model for the thermal conductivity of phononic crystal that accounts for both coherent and incoherent phonon effects, and show that the phonon thermal conductivity is reduced to less than 4% of the bulk value for Si at room temperature. This has substantial impact on thermoelectric applications, where the efficiency of thermoelectric materials is inversely proportional to the thermal conductivity.     

Thermal properties of two-dimensional materials

Two-dimensional(2D) materials, such as graphene, phosphorene, and transition metal dichalcogenides(e.g., Mo S2 and WS2), have attracted a great deal of attention recently due to their extraordinary structural, mechanical, and physical properties. In particular, 2D materials have shown great potential for thermal management and thermoelectric energy generation. In this article, we review the recent advances in the study of thermal properties of 2D materials. We first review some important aspects in thermal conductivity of graphene and discuss the possibility to enhance the ultra-high thermal conductivity of graphene. Next, we discuss thermal conductivity of Mo S2 and the new strategy for thermal management of Mo S2 device. Subsequently, we discuss the anisotropic thermal properties of phosphorene. Finally, we review the application of 2D materials in thermal devices, including thermal rectifier and thermal modulator.     

Effect of pressure on electronic and thermoelectric properties of magnesium silicide: A density functional theory study

We study the effect of pressure on electronic and thermoelectric properties of Mg_2Si using the density functional theory and Boltzmann transport equations. The variation of lattice constant, band gap, bulk modulus with pressure is also analyzed. Further, the thermoelectric properties(Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity, electronic thermal conductivity) have been studied as a function of temperature and pressure up to 1200 K. The results show that Mg_2Si is an n-type semiconductor with a band gap of 0.21 eV. The negative value of the Seebeck coefficient at all pressures indicates that the conduction is due to electrons. With the increase in pressure, the Seebeck coefficient decreases and electrical conductivity increases. It is also seen that, there is practically no effect of pressure on the electronic contribution of thermal conductivity.The paper describes the calculation of the lattice thermal conductivity and figure of merit of Mg_2Si at zero pressure. The maximum value of figure of merit is attained 1.83 × 10~(-3) at 1000 K. The obtained results are in good agreement with the available experimental and theoretical results.     

金属超晶格中的电子输运过程

本文借助文献[1]的方法解出在存在温度梯度和外磁场时金属超晶格的电子系统Boltz-mann方程,并以Nb-Ti超晶格系统为例计算出其电子热导率、热电功率、Thomson系数和Hall系数随调制周期变化的曲线,以此说明这种人造材料的电子输运性质与其微观结构的关系的基本物理特性。 关键词：     

Effect of carbon nanotubes addition on thermoelectric properties of Ca3Co4O9 ceramics

Increasing the phonon scattering center by adding nanoparticles to thermoelectric materials is an effective method of regulating the thermal conductivity. In this study, a series of Ca$_{3}$Co$_{4}$O$_{9}/x$ wt.% CNTs ($x=0$, 3, 5, 7, 10) polycrystalline ceramic thermoelectric materials by adding carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were prepared with sol-gel method and cold-pressing sintering technology. The results of x-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy show that the materials have a single-phase structure with high orientation and sheet like microstructure. The effect of adding carbon nanotubes to the thermoelectric properties of Ca$_{3}$Co$_{4}$O$_{9}$ was systematically measured. The test results of thermoelectric properties show that the addition of carbon nanotubes reduces the electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient of the material. Nevertheless, the thermal conductivity of the samples with carbon nanotubes addition is lower than that of the samples without carbon nanotubes. At 625 K, the thermal conductivity of Ca$_{3}$Co$_{4}$O$_{9}$/10 wt.% CNTs sample is reduced to 0.408 W$\cdot$m$^{-1}\cdot$K$^{-1}$, which is about 73% lower than that of the original sample. When the three parameters are coupled, the figure of merit of Ca$_{3}$Co$_{4}$O$_{9}$/3 wt.% CNTs sample reaches 0.052, which is 29% higher than that of the original sample. This shows that an appropriate amount of carbon nanotubes addition can reduce the thermal conductivity of Ca$_{3}$Co$_{4}$O$_{9}$ ceramic samples and improve their thermoelectric properties.     

Structural,optoelectronic and thermoelectric properties of antiperovskite compounds Ae3PbS (Ae = Ca,Sr and Ba): A first principles study

In the last years, alkaline-earth based antiperovskite compounds with small semiconductor band gap have been proven to be promising candidate for optoelectronic and thermoelectric applications. In this work, the structural, electronic, optical and thermoelectric properties of Ae₃PbS (Ae = Ca, Sr and Ba) compounds have been predicted using first principles calculations based on the full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave (FP-LAPW) method and semiclassical Boltzmann transport theory. Exchange-correlation effect is treated with the generalized gradient approximation with Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof scheme (GGA-PBE) and Tran–Blaha modified Becke–Johnson exchange potential. The lattice constant of considered materials increases as Ae goes in order from Ca to Ba and the hardness slightly decreases in this order. Ca₃PbS and Sr₃PbS are semiconductor with direct band gap of 0.199 eV and 0.116 eV, respectively, while Ba₃PbS is nearly metallic. Important optical responses of studied antiperovskites are found in the visible and ultraviolet energy range. Finally, the thermoelectric properties including Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, power factor and figure of merit are calculated. Obtained results show that Ca₃PbS and Sr₃PbS could be candidate for applications in thermoelectric generators at low and moderate temperatures due to their high figure of merit values.     

Tuning Thermal Conductivity in Si Nanowires with Patterned Structures

Tuning the thermal conductivity of silicon nanowires(Si-NWs)is essential for realization of future thermoelectric devices.The corresponding management of thermal transport is strongly related to the scattering of phonons,which are the primary heat carriers in Si-NWs.Using the molecular dynamics method,we find that the scattering of phonons from internal body defects is stronger than that from surface structures in the low-porosity range.Based on our simulations,we propose the concept of an exponential decay in thermal conductivity with porosity,specifically in the low-porosity range.In contrast,the thermal conductivity of Si-NWs with a higher porosity approaches the amorphous limit,and is insensitive to specific phonon scattering processes.Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the tuning of thermal conductivity in Si-NWs by means of patterned nanostructures,and may provide valuable insights into the optimal design of one-dimensional thermoelectric materials.     

低维纳米材料热电性能测试方法研究

通过近几十年的研究,人们对于块体及薄膜材料的热电性能已经有了较全面的认识,热电优值ZT的提高取得了飞速的进展,比如碲化铋相关材料、硒化亚铜相关材料、硒化锡相关材料的最大ZT值都突破了2.但是,这些体材料的热电优值距离大规模实用仍然有较大的差距.通过理论计算得知,当块体热电材料被制作成低维纳米结构材料时,比如二维纳米薄膜、一维纳米线,热电性能会得到显著的改善,具有微纳米结构材料的热电性能研究引起了科研人员的极大兴趣.当块体硅被制作成硅纳米线时,热电优值改善了将近100倍.然而,微纳米材料的热电参数测量极具挑战,因为块体材料的热电参数测量方法和测试平台已经不再适用于低维材料,需要开发出新的测量方法和测试平台用来研究低维材料的热导率、电导率和塞贝克系数.本文综述了几种用于精确测量微纳米材料热电参数的微机电结构,包括双悬空岛、单悬空岛、悬空四探针结构,详细介绍了每一种微机电结构的制备方法、测量原理以及对微纳米材料热电性能测试表征的实例.     

孔洞缺陷对二维石墨烯/氮化硼横向异质结热传导的调控

本文采用孔洞缺陷来实现对二维石墨烯/氮化硼横向异质结热导率的调控.平衡态分子动力学(EMD)计算结果表明,界面孔洞的引入会降低二维石墨烯/氮化硼横向异质结的热导率.相较于有序的孔洞分布,无序的孔洞分布能够更有效地降低异质结的热导率,这一现象可通过声子安德森局域化来解释.孔洞缺陷的存在导致声子的频率和波失发生变化,从而使声子散射变得更加频繁,孔洞随机分布时,则导致声子波在材料中发生多次反射和散射,最终形成局域振动模式.本研究揭示了孔洞缺陷降低二维石墨烯/氮化硼横向异质结热导率的物理机制,对二维热电材料的结构设计有一定的指导意义.     

Se替代Te对BiCuTeO电热输运性能的影响

层状氧硫族化合物由于其本征的低晶格热导率和可观的热电性能吸引了广泛关注,其中以BiCuSeO化合物的热电性能最为优异.但是,其同晶型化合物BiCuTeO,由于带隙较小且存在大量本征Cu空位,导致载流子浓度较高,热电性能较差,从而研究较少.针对BiCuTeO存在的上述问题,本文利用Se替代部分Te,以期能够展宽带隙并减少Cu空位,提高其热电性能.采用固相反应结合快速热压烧结制备了BiCuTe_(1-x)Se_xO(x=0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3和0.4)块体热电材料,并系统地研究了该体系的电热输运性能.研究结果表明,利用Se替代Te,可以使BiCuTeO导电层化学键强度增加、带隙增大、载流子有效质量增加以及载流子散射增强,从而导致载流子浓度和迁移率同时降低,进而电导率随着Se含量增加而剧烈降低, Seebeck系数则显著增大.由于综合电输运性能恶化,功率因子随着Se含量增加而减小,导致热电优值zT随着Se含量增加而降低.最终,Se含量为x=0.1的样品,在室温和723 K时的zT值分别达到约0.3和0.7,仍然在较宽温区内保持较高的zT值.由于Se替代Te改变了BiCuTeO的能带结构,通过载流子浓度优化,有望进一步提高其热电性能.     

A comparison study on the electronic structures,lattice dynamics and thermoelectric properties of bulk silicon and silicon nanotubes

In order to investigate the mechanism of the electron and phonon transport in a silicon nanotube(SiNT),the electronic structures,the lattice dynamics,and the thermoelectric properties of bulk silicon(bulk Si)and a SiNT have been calculated in this work using density functional theory and Boltzmann transport theory.Our results suggest that the thermal conductivity of a SiNT is reduced by a factor of 1,while its electrical conductivity is improved significantly,although the Seebeck coefficient is increased slightly as compared to those of the bulk Si.As a consequence,the figure of merit(ZT)of a SiNT at 1200 K is enhanced by 12 times from 0.08 for bulk Si to 1.10.The large enhancement in electrical conductivity originates from the largely increased density of states at the Fermi energy level and the obviously narrowed band gap.The significant reduction in thermal conductivity is ascribed to the remarkably suppressed phonon thermal conductivity caused by a weakened covalent bonding,a decreased phonon density of states,a reduced phonon vibration frequency,as well as a shortened mean free path of phonons.The other factors influencing the thermoelectric properties have also been studied from the perspective of electronic structures and lattice dynamics.     

Mesoscopic thermal and thermoelectric measurements of individual carbon nanotubes

We discuss the mesoscopic experimental measurements of electron energy dissipation, phonon thermal transport, and thermoelectric phenomena in individual carbon nanotubes. The temperature distributions in electrically heated individual multiwalled carbon nanotubes have been measured with a scanning thermal microscope. The temperature profiles along the tube axis in nanotubes indicate the bulk dissipation of electronic energy to phonons. In addition, thermal conductivity of an individual multiwalled nanotube has been measured using a microfabricated suspended device. The observed thermal conductivity is two orders of magnitude higher than the estimation from previous experiments that used macroscopic mat samples. Finally, we present thermoelectric power (TEP) of individual single walled carbon nanotubes using a novel mesoscopic device. A strong modulation of TEP as a function of the gate electrode was observed.