Thermoelectric properties of Ag-doped CuS nanocomposites synthesized by a facile polyol method
- 25 January 2018
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) in Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics
- Vol. 20 (8), 5926-5935
- https://doi.org/10.1039/c7cp07986a
Abstract
We report the first thermoelectric properties of Cu1−xAgxS, x = 0–0.75 nanocomposites, synthesized by using a facile polyol method. Systematic characterizations using powder XRD, Rietveld refinement of XRD, EDAX, XPS and Raman spectroscopy confirmed their single phase, hexagonal crystal structure with the space group P63/mmc, nominal elemental composition, valence states of the constituent elements and stoichiometric nature. The TEM images showing the CuS formation of nearly perfect hexagonal disk-like particles of average thickness 26.7 nm and breadth ranging in a few hundreds of nanometers with nanorods stacked from these hexagonal nanodisks (NDs) elongated along the c axis corroborate the FESEM images. Attributed to structural phase transition, an anomaly at 55 K is clearly observed in both the thermopower and Hall resistivity data. By increasing x, a systematic reduction in thermal conductivity was observed near 300 K. Consequently, a 50% enhancement in figure of merit was observed for Cu0.9Ag0.1S as compared to pure CuS at 300 K. These results therefore are expected to provide a new direction in improving ZT near 300 K.Keywords
Funding Information
- Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology
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