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Thermoelectricity Generation and Electron–Magnon Scattering in a Natural Chalcopyrite Mineral from a Deep‐Sea Hydrothermal Vent
Author(s) -
Ang Ran,
Khan Atta Ullah,
Tsujii Naohito,
Takai Ken,
Nakamura Ryuhei,
Mori Takao
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.201505517
Subject(s) - thermoelectric effect , magnon , chalcopyrite , thermoelectric materials , condensed matter physics , seebeck coefficient , materials science , hydrothermal circulation , mineralogy , geophysics , geology , physics , ferromagnetism , copper , metallurgy , seismology , thermodynamics
Current high‐performance thermoelectric materials require elaborate doping and synthesis procedures, particularly in regard to the artificial structure, and the underlying thermoelectric mechanisms are still poorly understood. Here, we report that a natural chalcopyrite mineral, Cu 1+x Fe 1−x S 2 , obtained from a deep‐sea hydrothermal vent can directly generate thermoelectricity. The resistivity displayed an excellent semiconducting character, and a large thermoelectric power and high power factor were found in the low x region. Notably, electron–magnon scattering and a large effective mass was detected in this region, thus suggesting that the strong coupling of doped carriers and antiferromagnetic spins resulted in the natural enhancement of thermoelectric properties during mineralization reactions. The present findings demonstrate the feasibility of thermoelectric energy generation and electron/hole carrier modulation with natural materials that are abundant in the Earth’s crust.