Unveiling the phonon scattering mechanisms in half-Heusler thermoelectric compounds
He R, Zhu T, Wang Y, Wolff U, Jaud JC, Sotnikov A, Potapov P, Wolf D, Ying P, Wood M, Liu Z, Feng L, Rodriguez NP, Snyder GJ, Grossman JC, Nielsch K, Schierning G (2020)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2020
Journal
Book Volume: 13
Pages Range: 5165-5176
Journal Issue: 12
DOI: 10.1039/d0ee03014g
Abstract
Half-Heusler (HH) compounds are among the most promising thermoelectric (TE) materials for large-scale applications due to their superior properties such as high power factor, excellent mechanical and thermal reliability, and non-toxicity. Their only drawback is the remaining-high lattice thermal conductivity. Various mechanisms were reported with claimed effectiveness to enhance the phonon scattering of HH compounds including grain-boundary scattering, phase separation, and electron-phonon interaction. In this work, however, we show that point-defect scattering has been the dominant mechanism for phonon scattering other than the intrinsic phonon-phonon interaction for ZrCoSb and possibly many other HH compounds. Induced by the charge-compensation effect, the formation of Co/4d Frenkel point defects is responsible for the drastic reduction of lattice thermal conductivity in ZrCoSb1-xSnx. Our work systematically depicts the phonon scattering profile of HH compounds and illuminates subsequent material optimizations. This journal is
Involved external institutions
Northwestern University
United States (USA) (US)
Leibniz-Institut für Festkörper- und Werkstoffforschung Dresden e.V. (IFW) / Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden
Germany (DE)
Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) / 中国科学院
China (CN)
Technische Universität Darmstadt
Germany (DE)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
United States (USA) (US)
United States (USA) (US)
Leibniz-Institut für Festkörper- und Werkstoffforschung Dresden e.V. (IFW) / Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden
Germany (DE)
Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) / 中国科学院
China (CN)
Technische Universität Darmstadt
Germany (DE)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
United States (USA) (US)
How to cite
APA:
He, R., Zhu, T., Wang, Y., Wolff, U., Jaud, J.-C., Sotnikov, A.,... Schierning, G. (2020). Unveiling the phonon scattering mechanisms in half-Heusler thermoelectric compounds. Energy and Environmental Science, 13(12), 5165-5176. https://doi.org/10.1039/d0ee03014g
MLA:
He, Ran, et al. "Unveiling the phonon scattering mechanisms in half-Heusler thermoelectric compounds." Energy and Environmental Science 13.12 (2020): 5165-5176.
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