Ca掺杂的多主元固溶稀土Zintl相Yb0.85−xCaxCe0.15Ag0.85Sb及其热电性能调控

Ca doped multi-component rare-earth zintl phases Yb0.85−xCaxCe0.15Ag0.85Sb and their thermoelectric performance modulation

  • 摘要: 多主元固溶Zintl相化合物兼具结构复杂性与可调的电热输运性质,是极具潜力的热电材料体系。本工作通过Pb助熔剂法成功合成了稀土Zintl相锑化物 Yb0.85RE0.15Ag0.85Sb(RE=La,Ce,Pr,Nd)。单晶X射线衍射分析表明,该系列化合物均属于LiGaGe型结构。Yb0.85Ce0.15Ag0.85Sb在1023 K时表现出最高的ZT值约0.4,且具有良好的高温稳定性。为进一步提升塞贝克系数并降低热导率,采用Ca掺杂构建了多主元固溶稀土Zintl相Yb0.85−xCaxCe0.15Ag0.85Sb(x = 0.1~0.6),得益于Zintl相化合物的低热导率特性,所有掺杂样品的热电性能均显著提升,较未掺杂样品在中高温区提高约一倍。值得注意的是,Yb0.55Ca0.3Ce0.15Ag0.85Sb的ZT峰值温度向低温移动约150 K,并在873 K时达到约0.81。基于DFT模拟,该掺杂诱导的性能提升归因于阳离子取代引入的局域晶格应变和AgSb层的电荷分布调控,作用于价带顶的电子态密度分布,进而实现对空穴有效质量的调控。本研究通过多主元固溶设计与元素掺杂的协同策略,实现了电声输运的有效解耦与优化,为高性能Zintl相热电材料的设计提供了新思路。

     

    Abstract: Multi-component Zintl phase compounds, combining structural complexity with tunable electrical and thermal transport properties, are promising thermoelectric materials. In this work, rare-earth Zintl phase antimonides Yb0.85RE0.15Ag0.85Sb (RE = La, Ce, Pr, Nd) were successfully synthesized via the Pb flux method. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that all compounds in this series adopt the LiGaGe-type structure. Yb0.85Ce0.15Ag0.85Sb exhibited a ZT value of approximately 0.4 at 1023 K, along with excellent high-temperature stability. To further enhance the Seebeck coefficient and reduce thermal conductivity, a series of multi-component rare-earth Zintl phase Yb0.85−xCaxCe0.15Ag0.85Sb (x = 0.1~0.6) was constructed via Ca doped multi-component solid-solution design. Benefiting from the inherently low thermal conductivity of Zintl phase compounds, the thermoelectric performance of all doped samples was significantly enhanced, showing approximately a twofold improvement compared to the undoped sample in the medium-to-high temperature region. Notably, the peak ZT temperature of Yb0.55Ca0.3Ce0.15Ag0.85Sb shifted to lower temperatures by approximately 150 K, reaching about 0.81 at 873 K. Based on DFT simulations, the doping-induced performance enhancement is attributed to the local lattice strain introduced by cation substitution and the modulation of charge distribution in the AgSb layers, which affect the density of states at the valence band maximum, thereby enabling the tuning of the hole effective mass. This work demonstrates a synergistic strategy combining multi-component solid-solution design and elemental doping to achieve effective decoupling and optimization of electrical and thermal transport, offering new insights for the design of high-performance Zintl-phase thermoelectric materials.

     

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