Universal and Solution-Processable Precursor to Bismuth Chalcogenide Thermoelectrics

We describe a universal precursor to compounds of the form Bi2Te3−xSex. This precursor can be dispensed using traditional solution-processing techniques and then thermally decomposed into its respective parent compound. Room temperature measurements of these materials yield thermoelectric figures of merit, ZT, ranging from 0.2 to 0.4.