Stabilized copper selenide thermoelectric materials and methods of fabrication thereof
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of Michigan
InventorsPierre Ferdinand POUDEU-POUDEU, Alan OLVERA
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Abstract
A thermoelectric composition is provided that includes a nanocomposite comprising a copper selenide (Cu2Se) matrix having a plurality of nanoinclusions comprising copper metal selenide (CuMSe2) distributed therein. M may be selected from the group consisting of: indium (In), aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), and combinations thereof. The thermoelectric composition has an average figure of merit (ZT) of greater than or equal to about 1.5 at a temperature of less than or equal to about 850K (about 577° C.). Methods of making such a thermoelectric nanocomposite material by a sequential solid-state transformation of a CuSe2 precursor are also provided.
Claims17
A thermoelectric composition comprising:
- a nanocomposite comprising a copper selenide (Cu2Se) matrix having a plurality of nanoinclusions comprising copper metal selenide (CuMSe2) distributed therein, wherein M is selected from the group consisting of:
- indium (In), aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), and combinations thereof and the thermoelectric composition has an average figure of merit (ZT) of greater than or equal to about 1.5 at a temperature of less than or equal to about 850K (about 577° C.).
A thermoelectric device comprising:
- a first electrode;
- a second electrode having an opposite polarity to the first electrode;
- a first side having a first temperature;
- a second side having a second temperature that is less than the first temperature;
- and
- a thermoelectric component is electrical communication with the first electrode and the second electrode and in thermal communication with the first side and the second side, the thermoelectric component comprising a thermoelectric nanocomposite composition comprising a copper selenide (Cu2Se) matrix having a plurality of nanoinclusions comprising copper metal selenide (CuMSe2) distributed therein, wherein M is selected from the group consisting of:
- indium (In), aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), and combinations thereof and the thermoelectric nanocomposite composition has an average figure of merit (ZT) of greater than or equal to about 1.5 at a temperature of less than or equal to about 850K (about 577° C.).
A method of making a thermoelectric composition comprising:
- converting a precursor comprising copper diselenide (CuSe2) into copper selenide (Cu2Se) and copper metal selenide (CuMSe2) by reacting the precursor with a reagent metal (M′) selected from the group consisting of:
- copper (Cu), silver (Ag), and combinations thereof and a metal (M) selected from the group consisting of:
- indium (In), aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), and combinations thereof to form a nanocomposite comprising a matrix of the copper selenide (Cu2Se) having a plurality of nanoinclusions comprising the copper metal selenide (CuMSe2) distributed therein, wherein the nanocomposite has an average figure of merit (ZT) of greater than or equal to about 1.5 at a temperature of less than or equal to about 850K (about 577° C.).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.