Crystal symmetry modification enables high-ranged in-plane thermoelectric performance in n-type SnSe crystals

SnSe crystal has witnessed significant advancements as a promising thermoelectric material over the past decade. Its in-plane direction shows robust mechanical strength for practical thermoelectric applications. Herein, we optimize the in-plane thermoelectric performance of n-type SnSe by crystal symmetry modification. In particular, we find that Te and Mo alloying continuously enhances the crystal symmetry, thereby increasing the carrier mobility to ~ 422 cm<sup>2 </sup>V<sup>-1</sup> s<sup>-1</sup>. Simultaneously, the conduction bands converge with the symmetry modification, further improving the electrical transport. Additionally, the lattice thermal conductivity is limited to ~ 1.1 W m<sup>-1</sup> K<sup>-1</sup> due to the softness of both acoustic and optical branches. Consequently, we achieve a power factor of ~ 28 μW cm<sup>-1</sup> K<sup>-2</sup> and ZT of ~ 0.6 in n-type SnSe at 300 K. The average ZT reaches ~ 0.89 at 300-723 K. The single-leg device based on the obtained n-type SnSe shows a remarkable efficiency of ~ 5.3% under the ΔT of ~ 300 K, which is the highest reported in n-type SnSe. This work demonstrates the substantial potential of SnSe for practical applications of power generation and waste heat recovery.

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Publication Details

Journal
Nature Communications
Published
2025-02-20
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57125-w
Citations
33
Primary Topic
Advanced Thermoelectric Materials and Devices
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
17.09

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article

Crystal symmetry modification enables high-ranged in-plane thermoelectric performance in n-type SnSe crystals

Dongrui Liu, Zhenghao Hou, Li‐Dong Zhao, Yongxin Qin et al.
33 citations
Nature Communications
Advanced Thermoelectric Materials and Devices
17.09
article

Crystal symmetry modification enables high-ranged in-plane thermoelectric performance in n-type SnSe crystals

Dongrui Liu, Zhenghao Hou, Li‐Dong Zhao, Yongxin Qin, Huaping Liang, Lizhong Su, Xin Qian, Xiang Gao, Cheng Chang, Tianhang Zhou, Yi Wen, Shulin Bai, Qing Tan, Shibo Liu, Haonan Shi, Tian Gao, Bingchao Qin
article en
33 citations

Abstract

SnSe crystal has witnessed significant advancements as a promising thermoelectric material over the past decade. Its in-plane direction shows robust mechanical strength for practical thermoelectric applications. Herein, we optimize the in-plane thermoelectric performance of n-type SnSe by crystal symmetry modification. In particular, we find that Te and Mo alloying continuously enhances the crystal symmetry, thereby increasing the carrier mobility to ~ 422 cm<sup>2 </sup>V<sup>-1</sup> s<sup>-1</sup>. Simultaneously, the conduction bands converge with the symmetry modification, further improving the electrical transport. Additionally, the lattice thermal conductivity is limited to ~ 1.1 W m<sup>-1</sup> K<sup>-1</sup> due to the softness of both acoustic and optical branches. Consequently, we achieve a power factor of ~ 28 μW cm<sup>-1</sup> K<sup>-2</sup> and ZT of ~ 0.6 in n-type SnSe at 300 K. The average ZT reaches ~ 0.89 at 300-723 K. The single-leg device based on the obtained n-type SnSe shows a remarkable efficiency of ~ 5.3% under the ΔT of ~ 300 K, which is the highest reported in n-type SnSe. This work demonstrates the substantial potential of SnSe for practical applications of power generation and waste heat recovery.

Nature CommunicationsVol. 16(1)
Zhejiang International Studies University (CN), Shijiazhuang University (CN), China University of Petroleum, Beijing (CN), Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research (CN), Hebei University (CN), Taiyuan University of Science and Technology (CN), Beihang University (CN)
Salt Science Research Foundation, Tencent, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Beihang University, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, Higher Education Discipline Innovation Project, Natural Science Foundation for Young Scientists of Shanxi Province, Young Scientists Fund, National Postdoctoral Program for Innovative Talents, National Key Research and Development Program of China
Openalex Percentile: Top 0%
Advanced Thermoelectric Materials and Devices
17.09
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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