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Synthesis and Characterization of Nanocrystalline FeSb 2 for Thermoelectric Applications
Author(s) -
Datta Anuja,
Nolas George S.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
european journal of inorganic chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.667
H-Index - 136
eISSN - 1099-0682
pISSN - 1434-1948
DOI - 10.1002/ejic.201100864
Subject(s) - thermoelectric effect , nanocrystalline material , spark plasma sintering , thermoelectric materials , crystallite , nanocrystal , seebeck coefficient , thermal conductivity , nanocomposite , materials science , phonon scattering , sintering , nanotechnology , chemistry , chemical engineering , metallurgy , composite material , physics , engineering , thermodynamics
We report an ethanol‐mediated surfactant‐free solvothermal synthesis of phase‐pure Pnmm FeSb 2 nanocrystals with an average size of 40 nm. The capping free growth of the nanocrystals resulted in the formation of inherent orthorhombic shapes. The nanocrystals were densified by spark plasma sintering to prepare a polycrystalline bulk material that consisted of 40–200 nm FeSb 2 nanocrystal domains (nanocomposite). Low‐temperature Seebeck coefficient, resisitivity, and thermal conductivity were measured on parallelopipeds cut from the densified specimen and compared to bulk FeSb 2 prepared by a solid‐state synthesis process. The FeSb 2 nanocomposite showed a large reduction in lattice thermal conductivity relative to the bulk due to significant grain‐boundary phonon scattering. If one notes that the solution‐phase synthesis of Pnnm FeSb 2 nanocrystals is accounted here for the first time and the low‐temperature thermoelectric properties indicates a significant reduction in lattice thermal conductivity for this material, this work represents an important step towards optimizing thermoelectric properties for cooling applications.