Staggered-layer-boosted flexible Bi2Te3 films with high thermoelectric performance

Lu，Yao1,2; Zhou，Yi1,3; Wang，Wu1; Hu，Mingyuan1; Huang，Xiege4; Mao，Dasha1; Huang，Shan1; Xie，Lin1; Lin，Peijian1; Jiang，Binbin1; Zhu，Bin1; Feng，Jianghe1; Shi，Jianxu1; Lou，Qing1; Huang，Yi1; Yang，Jianmin1; Li，Jinhong1; Li，Guodong4; He，Jiaqing1,5

2023

10.1038/s41565-023-01457-5

Nature Nanotechnology   Impact Factor & Quartile

1748-3387

1748-3395

Room-temperature bismuth telluride (BiTe) thermoelectrics are promising candidates for low-grade heat harvesting. However, the brittleness and inflexibility of BiTe are far reaching and bring about lifelong drawbacks. Here we demonstrate good pliability over 1,000 bending cycles and high power factors of 4.2 (p type) and 4.6 (n type) mW m K in BiTe-based films that were exfoliated from corresponding single crystals. This unprecedented bendability was ascribed to the in situ observed staggered-layer structure that was spontaneously formed during the fabrication to promote stress propagation whilst maintaining good electrical conductivity. Unexpectedly, the donor-like staggered layer rarely affected the carrier transport of the films, thus maintaining its superior thermoelectric performance. Our flexible generator showed a high normalized power density of 321 W m with a temperature difference of 60 K. These high performances in supple thermoelectric films not only offer useful paradigms for wearable electronics, but also provide key insights into structure–property manipulation in inorganic semiconductors.

SCI

English

NI Journal Papers ; NI论文

First ; Corresponding

National Natural Science Foundation of China[11934007] ; Science and Technology Innovation Committee Foundation of Shenzhen["JCYJ20190809145205497","JCYJ20200109141205978"] ; Outstanding Talents Training Fund in Shenzhen[202108]

Science & Technology - Other Topics ; Materials Science

Nanoscience & Nanotechnology ; Materials Science, Multidisciplinary

WOS:001037371100003

NATURE PORTFOLIO

2-s2.0-85166023527

Scopus

1.Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Thermoelectric Materials,Department of Physics,Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,China
2.International School of Microelectronics,Dongguan University of Technology,Dongguan,China
3.Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering,National University of Singapore,Singapore,Singapore
4.Hubei Key Laboratory of Theory and Application of Advanced Materials Mechanics,Wuhan University of Technology,Wuhan,China
5.Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Joint Laboratory for Photonic–Thermal–Electrical Energy Materials and Devices,Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,China

Lu，Yao,Zhou，Yi,Wang，Wu,et al. Staggered-layer-boosted flexible Bi2Te3 films with high thermoelectric performance[J]. Nature Nanotechnology,2023.

Lu，Yao.,Zhou，Yi.,Wang，Wu.,Hu，Mingyuan.,Huang，Xiege.,...&He，Jiaqing.(2023).Staggered-layer-boosted flexible Bi2Te3 films with high thermoelectric performance.Nature Nanotechnology.

Lu，Yao,et al."Staggered-layer-boosted flexible Bi2Te3 films with high thermoelectric performance".Nature Nanotechnology (2023).