Review of the thermoelectric properties of layered oxides and chalcogenides

Abstract The current state of investigation on thermoelectric properties of layered chalcogenides and oxides is considered. The relationship between the quasi-two-dimensionality of electronic transport properties and thermoelectric properties is confirmed. A decrease in the dimension of electron transport from three-dimensional to quasi-two-dimensional in materials with a layered structure increases the thermopower with a slight change in electrical conductivity. The bismuth tellurides, bismuth selenides and its alloys are currently one of the outstanding state of the art bulk thermoelectric materials with layered structure. Layered transition metal dichalcogenides MX 2 (M is a transition metal, X is a chalcogen) are efficient thermoelectric materials at higher temperatures (500–800 K). In these materials, an increase in thermoelectric properties associated with the two-dimensionalization of electron transport is also observed. Layered monochalcogenides MX (M = Sn, Pb, Ge; X = S, Se, Te) are also a promising class of thermoelectric materials. In SnSe single crystals, Z T ∼ 2.6 is obtained at 923 K due to the very low thermal conductivity along the b axis (0.23 W (m K) −1 at 973 K). Layered chalcogenides CuCrX 2 (X = S, Se, Te) containing magnetic Cr atoms are effective thermoelectrics at higher temperatures (up to 800 K) due to the presence of phonon glass–electron crystal state led to a significant decrease in thermal conductivity at high temperatures. Magnetic atoms in CuCrX 2 compounds lead to the presence of magnetic phase transitions affecting their thermoelectric properties. Interest in oxide-based thermoelectric materials has significantly increased due to their stability in air and higher temperatures for maximum efficiency. The most promising thermoelectric oxide materials Ca 3 Co 4 O 9 , Na x CoO 2 , Bi 2 Ca 2 Co 2 O x , and CaCo 2 O 4 have a layered structure and contain magnetic Co atoms leading to magnetic ordering and influence on thermoelectric properties. The presence of phase transitions affects the thermoelectric parameters of thermoelectrics and the thermoelectric figure of merit ZT .