Texture-dependent thermoelectric properties of nano-structured Bi2Te3

In this study, Bi2Te3 nanostructures were synthesized with controlled morphologies by using a solvothermal process and then sintered by spark plasma sintering to obtain bulk samples with controllable texture degrees. The sintered nanostructured Bi2Te3 pellets show texture-dependent thermoelectric properties, in which their Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity can be optimized by the proper texture design to simultaneously secure a high carrier mobility and strong phonon scattering, resulting in a peak ZT value of ~0.69 at 333 K. This study reveals the potential of texture engineering in developing high performance anisotropic thermoelectric materials.