Thermo‐Electro‐Magnetic Interactions and ≈1 nm Fe Interfacial Layer Realize High Average <i>ZT</i> in Fe/Mg<sub>3</sub>(Sb,Bi)<sub>2</sub> Below 300 °C
Abstract Mg 3 (Sb,Bi) 2 alloys offer exceptional near‐room temperature thermoelectric (TE) performance comparable to Bi 2 Te 3 . However, the low carrier mobility due to Mg vacancies and relatively high lattice thermal conductivity adversely affect overall TE performance. Herein, carrier mobility and thermal conductivity of Mg 3 (Sb,Bi) 2 are decoupled by modulating both the phase interface and grain boundaries through incorporating different sizes of iron (Fe). Ferromagnetic micrometer‐sized Fe particles enhance the figure of merit ( ZT ) more than superparamagnetic nano‐sized counterparts. Magnetic moments of Fe induce the charge density overlap near phase boundaries and ≈1 nm Fe interfacial layer lowers grain‐boundary barriers, leading to sharply increased carrier mobility. Moreover, the additional magnon‐phonon scattering reduces lattice thermal conductivity by over 40%. Consequently, Fe/Mg 3 (Sb,Bi) 2 composite achieves a high average ZT of 1.4 over room temperature to 573 K. The fabricated Mg 3 (Sb,Bi) 2 ‐CdSb module demonstrates a high conversion efficiency of 8.4% under a 275 K temperature gradient, among the best for Mg 3 (Sb,Bi) 2 ‐based modules. This work uncovers the role of thermo‐electro‐magnetic interactions in bolstering TE performance and inspires the development of low‐cost, high‐efficiency TE modules for low‐grade heat recovery.
Authors
- Zhen‐Hua Ge (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8810-5103)
- Fengxian Gao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8668-9755)
- Yan Xi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1829-6554)
- Jiang‐Jiang Ma
- Weiyun Zhao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1858-0360)
- Liangwei Fu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3827-4010)
- Biao Xu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6645-3905)
- Mingfang Shu
- Jie Ma (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7060-1325)
- Xiao Gao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5469-1754)
- Ming Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3243-700X)
- Yu Zhen Yuan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3148-6600)
- Haonan Nie
- Kangpeng Jin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0290-4276)
Institutions
- Kunming University of Science and Technology (CN)
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University (CN)
- Nanjing University of Science and Technology (CN)
- Zhejiang Lab (CN)
- Beihang University (CN)
- RWTH Aachen University (DE)
- University of Science and Technology Beijing (CN)
- Shanxi Normal University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Functional Materials
- Published
- 2024-12-06
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202418041
- Citations
- 9
- Primary Topic
- Magnetic and transport properties of perovskites and related materials
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.06
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Central University Basic Research Fund of China
- Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities