文摘
We investigate the effect of ZnTe incorporation on PbTe to enhance thermoelectric performance. We report structural, microscopic, and spectroscopic characterizations, ab initio theoretical calculations, and thermoelectric transport properties of Pb0.985Na0.015Te–x% ZnTe (x = 0, 1, 2, 4). We find that the solid solubility limit of ZnTe in PbTe is less than 1 mol %. The introduction of 2% ZnTe in p-type Pb0.985Na0.015Te reduces the lattice thermal conductivity through the ZnTe precipitates at the microscale. Consequently, a maximum thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) of 1.73 at 700 K is achieved for the spark plasma-sintered Pb0.985Na0.015Te–2% ZnTe, which arises from a decreased lattice thermal conductivity of ∼0.69 W m–1 K–1 at ∼700 K in comparison with Pb0.985Na0.015Te.