Issue 1, 2025

Mn-doping method boosts Se doping concentration in Cu2S towards high thermoelectric performance

Abstract

Copper chalcogenides have garnered attention as promising thermoelectric materials, owing to their environmental benignity, cost-effectiveness, and superior thermoelectric performance. Anionic doping within the same group is an effective method to improve the thermoelectric performance of copper chalcogenides, but Se-doped Cu2S contains a large fraction of the secondary phase leading to poor thermoelectric properties. In this study, we refined the thermoelectric properties of Cu2S by extending the concentration limit of Se-doping concentration. Our findings reveal that the incorporation of 2% Mn significantly elevates the concentration limit of Se from 1.5% to 5%. The increased Se doping effectively narrows the band gap, augmenting the carrier concentration to an optimal level. Furthermore, it also adjusts the electronic structure, enabling additional bands to contribute to electron transport, which results in elevated weighted mobility, and consequently, enhanced electrical conductivity performance. Additionally, the Se doping introduces dislocations and lattice distortions that bolster alloy scattering, thereby diminishing lattice thermal conductivity. As a result, the zT of Cu1.96Mn0.02S0.95Se0.05 reaches a peak of 0.97 at 723 K, which is 3.8 times that of Cu2S, and at a high level compared with the reported Cu2S-based materials. Hence, our research underscores the efficacy of co-doping as a strategy to expand the Se-doping concentration limit, and anionic doping within the same group can optimize the thermoelectric properties of Cu2S-based materials.

Graphical abstract: Mn-doping method boosts Se doping concentration in Cu2S towards high thermoelectric performance

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
18 Jul 2024
Accepted
18 Oct 2024
First published
19 Oct 2024

J. Mater. Chem. C, 2025,13, 326-333

Mn-doping method boosts Se doping concentration in Cu2S towards high thermoelectric performance

C. Gong, Z. Zeng, X. Sun, C. Luo and H. Chen, J. Mater. Chem. C, 2025, 13, 326 DOI: 10.1039/D4TC03056G

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