Controlled two-dimensional coated nanostructures for bulk thermoelectric composites

The authors demonstrate herein a new route to introduce two-dimensional nanostructures into a bulk thermoelectric material using a hydrothermal coating technique. A very thin Pb0.75Sn0.25Se crystalline layer (typically about 30nm) is fabricated onto the surfaces of micron-sized Pb0.75Sn0.25Te seed particles. Compared to the conventional preparation of the nanocomposite thermoelectric materials, the salient advantage of this “coating” technique is that the authors are able to achieve a more homogenous dispersion of the nanostructures, which should subsequently result in more desirable effects on both the thermal and electrical transports via the direct control of the intergrain boundary.