High Thermoelectric Performance of New Rhombohedral Phase of GeSe stabilized through Alloying with AgSbSe2

GeSe is a IV–VI semiconductor, like the excellent thermoelectric materials PbTe and SnSe. Orthorhombic GeSe has been predicted theoretically to have good thermoelectric performance but is difficult to dope experimentally. Like PbTe, rhombohedral GeTe has a multivalley band structure, which is ideal for thermoelectrics and also promotes the formation of Ge vacancies to provide enough carriers for electrical transport. Herein, we investigate the thermoelectric properties of GeSe alloyed with AgSbSe₂, which stabilizes a new rhombohedral structure with higher symmetry that leads to a multivalley Fermi surface and a dramatic increase in carrier concentration. The zT of GeAg_0.2Sb_0.2Se_1.4 reaches 0.86 at 710 K, which is 18 times higher than that of pristine GeSe and over four times higher than doped orthorhombic GeSe. Our results open a new avenue towards developing novel thermoelectric materials through crystal phase engineering using a strategy of entropy stabilization of high‐symmetry alloys.     

Mechanical Alloying of Metal–Organic Frameworks

The solvent‐free mechanical milling process for two distinct metal–organic framework (MOF) crystals induced the formation of a solid solution, which is not feasible by conventional solution‐based syntheses. X‐ray and STEM‐EDX studies revealed that performing mechanical milling under an Ar atmosphere promotes the high diffusivity of each metal ion in an amorphous solid matrix; the amorphous state turns into the porous crystalline structure by vapor exposure treatment to form a new phase of a MOF solid solution.     

Structurally Precise Silver Sulfide Nanoclusters Protected by Rhodium(III) Octahedra with Aminothiolates

A 60‐nuclear silver sulfide nanocluster with a highly positive charge ( 1 ) has been synthesized by mixing an octahedral Rh^III complex with 2‐aminoethanethiolate ligands, silver(I) nitrate, and d ‐penicillamine in water under mild conditions. The spherical surface of 1 is protected by the chiral octahedral Rh^III complex, with cleavage of the C?S bond of the d ‐penicillamine supplying the sulfide ions. Although 1 does not contain d ‐penicillamine, it is optically active because of the enantiomeric excess of the Rh^III molecules induced by chiral transfer from d ‐penicillamine. 1 can accommodate/release external Ag⁺ ions and replace inner Ag⁺ ions by Cu⁺ ions. The study demonstrates that a thiolato metal complex and sulfur‐containing amino acid can be used as cluster‐surface‐protecting and sulfide‐supplying regents, respectively, for creating chiral, water‐soluble, structurally precise silver sulfide nanoclusters, the properties of which are tunable through the addition/removal/exchange of Ag⁺ ions.