%0 Journal Article
%A Prado Gonjal, Jesús De La Paz
%A García-Calvo, Elena
%A Gainza, Javier
%A Durá, Oscar J.
%A Dejoie, Catherine
%A Nemes, Norbert Marcel
%A Martínez, José Luis
%A Alonso, José Antonio
%A Serrano-Sánchez, Federico
%T Optimizing Thermoelectric Properties through Compositional Engineering in Ag-Deficient AgSbTe<sub>2</sub> Synthesized by Arc Melting
%D 2024
%@ 2637-6113
%@ 2637-6113
%U https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/104910
%X Thermoelectric materials offer a promising avenue for energy management, directly converting heat into electrical energy. Among them, AgSbTe2has gained significant attention and continues to be a subject of research at further improving its thermoelectric performance and expanding its practical applications. This study focuses on Ag-deficient Ag0.7Sb1.12Te2 and Ag0.7Sb1.12Te1.95Se0.05 materials, examining the impact of compositional engineering within the AgSbTe2 thermoelectric system. These materials have been rapidly synthesized using an arc-melting technique, resulting in the production of dense nanostructured pellets. Detailed analysis through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reveals the presence of a layered nanostructure, which significantly influences the thermoelectric properties of these materials. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction reveals significant changes in the lattice parameters and atomic displacement parameters (ADPs) that suggest a weakening of bond order in the structure. The thermoelectric characterization highlights the enhanced power factor of Ag-deficient materials that, combined with the low glass-like thermal conductivity, results in a significant improvement in the figure of merit, achieving zT values of 1.25 in Ag0.7Sb1.12Te2 and 1.01 in Ag0.7Sb1.12Te1.95Se0.05 at 750 K.
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