Balancing the Competing Effects of Carrier and Phonon Transport Mechanisms to Enhance the Thermoelectric Properties of p‐Type <scp>T</scp> i <sub>2</sub> <scp>Z</scp> r <sub> 2− <i>x</i> </sub> <scp>H</scp> f <sub>2</sub> <scp>N</scp> b <sub>2</sub>

Boosting thermoelectric performance is challenging due to the intricate interplay between electrical and thermal transport properties. This study focuses on Zr vacancy‐filled p‐type Ti 2 Zr 2 Hf 2 Nb 2 Fe 5.6 Ni 2.4 Sb 8 ‐based thermoelectric materials to explore how Zr vacancies affect their structural and transport characteristics. Density functional theory calculations demonstrate that Zr vacancies induce proximal contraction/distal relaxation, strengthening lattice distortion while preserving the intrinsically intense phonon scattering in Ti 2 Zr 2 Hf 2 Nb 2 Fe 5.6 Ni 2.4 Sb 8 samples. The intensified asymmetric electron localization between adjacent anions and the cation vacancies softens local chemical bonds. Microscopic investigations reveal that Ti 2 Zr 2− x Hf 2 Nb 2 Fe 5.6 Ni 2.4 Sb 8 alloys with an optimal number of Zr vacancies balance the competing effects of carrier and phonon transport mechanisms by regulating multi‐scale defects. Introducing appropriate Zr vacancies optimizes both the Seebeck coefficient and κ L without greatly affecting electrical conductivity and weight mobility, achieving a 23% maximum power factor improvement and roughly 10% κ L reduction. The bipolar diffusion effect is effectively suppressed to negligible levels by energy filtering effects, thus ensuring high‐temperature stability. The maximum ZT of Ti 2 Zr 1.97 Hf 2 Nb 2 Fe 5.6 Ni 2.4 Sb 8 and Ti 2 Zr 1.95 Hf 2 Nb 2 Fe 5.6 Ni 2.4 Sb 8 is 30% higher than that of pristine samples without Zr vacancies. These findings are the first demonstration of vacancy engineering as a promising strategy in p‐type double half‐Heusler alloys to enhance their thermoelectric performance and decouple intertwined transport parameters.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Energy & environment materials
Published
2025-10-25
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/eem2.70170
Primary Topic
Advanced Thermoelectric Materials and Devices
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Balancing the Competing Effects of Carrier and Phonon Transport Mechanisms to Enhance the Thermoelectric Properties of p‐Type T i 2 Z r 2− x H f 2 N b 2

Daoyong Cong, Xianglin Zhou, Ruisheng Song, Mina Zhang et al.
Energy & environment materials
Advanced Thermoelectric Materials and Devices
article

Balancing the Competing Effects of Carrier and Phonon Transport Mechanisms to Enhance the Thermoelectric Properties of p‐Type T i 2 Z r 2− x H f 2 N b 2

Daoyong Cong, Xianglin Zhou, Ruisheng Song, Mina Zhang, Degang Zhao, Shifeng Kan, Chaoyue Wang, Jinghao Li, Longjun He
article en

Abstract

Boosting thermoelectric performance is challenging due to the intricate interplay between electrical and thermal transport properties. This study focuses on Zr vacancy‐filled p‐type Ti 2 Zr 2 Hf 2 Nb 2 Fe 5.6 Ni 2.4 Sb 8 ‐based thermoelectric materials to explore how Zr vacancies affect their structural and transport characteristics. Density functional theory calculations demonstrate that Zr vacancies induce proximal contraction/distal relaxation, strengthening lattice distortion while preserving the intrinsically intense phonon scattering in Ti 2 Zr 2 Hf 2 Nb 2 Fe 5.6 Ni 2.4 Sb 8 samples. The intensified asymmetric electron localization between adjacent anions and the cation vacancies softens local chemical bonds. Microscopic investigations reveal that Ti 2 Zr 2− x Hf 2 Nb 2 Fe 5.6 Ni 2.4 Sb 8 alloys with an optimal number of Zr vacancies balance the competing effects of carrier and phonon transport mechanisms by regulating multi‐scale defects. Introducing appropriate Zr vacancies optimizes both the Seebeck coefficient and κ L without greatly affecting electrical conductivity and weight mobility, achieving a 23% maximum power factor improvement and roughly 10% κ L reduction. The bipolar diffusion effect is effectively suppressed to negligible levels by energy filtering effects, thus ensuring high‐temperature stability. The maximum ZT of Ti 2 Zr 1.97 Hf 2 Nb 2 Fe 5.6 Ni 2.4 Sb 8 and Ti 2 Zr 1.95 Hf 2 Nb 2 Fe 5.6 Ni 2.4 Sb 8 is 30% higher than that of pristine samples without Zr vacancies. These findings are the first demonstration of vacancy engineering as a promising strategy in p‐type double half‐Heusler alloys to enhance their thermoelectric performance and decouple intertwined transport parameters.

Energy & environment materialsVol. 9(2)
Aarhus University (DK), Aarhus University Hospital (DK), University of Jinan (CN), Ningbo Institute of Industrial Technology (CN), University of Science and Technology Beijing (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Key Research and Development Program of China
Openalex Percentile: Top 76%
Advanced Thermoelectric Materials and Devices
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.