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Creating Zipper‐Like van der Waals Gap Discontinuity in Low‐Temperature‐Processed Nanostructured PbBi 2 n Te 1+3 n : Enhanced Phonon Scattering and Improved Thermoelectric Performance
Author(s) -
Xu Biao,
Feng Tianli,
Li Zhe,
Zhou Lin,
Pantelides Sokrates T.,
Wu Yue
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
angewandte chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1521-3757
pISSN - 0044-8249
DOI - 10.1002/ange.201805890
Subject(s) - thermoelectric effect , phonon , van der waals force , materials science , condensed matter physics , heterojunction , thermoelectric materials , thermal conductivity , nanotechnology , chemical physics , optoelectronics , chemistry , thermodynamics , physics , molecule , organic chemistry , composite material
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 2 n Te 1+3 n using a solution‐synthesized PbTe‐Bi 2 Te 3 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 .