High thermoelectric performance of nonequilibrium synthesized CeFe4Sb12 composite with multi-scaled nanostructures

High thermoelectric performance p-type CeFe4Sb12 composite with rich nanostructures are rapidly prepared by a melt spinning coupled with spark plasma sintering technique. Melt spinning markedly refines the matrix grain size (200–500 nm). We also find evenly distributed FeSb2 nanodots (<50 nm) inside the skutterudite grains due to the inherent structural instability of Fe-containing skutterudites. Meanwhile, by adding excessive Ce into the CeFe4Sb12 matrix, unique CeSb2 nanoinclusions (50–150 nm) are in-situ formed on the grain boundaries. The multi-scaled nanostructures scatter a broad spectrum of heat-carrying phonons, leading to a maximum thermoelectric figure of merit ZT above unity in the skutterudite nanocomposite.