High-Performance AgSbTe<sub>2</sub> Thermoelectrics: Advances, Challenges, and Perspectives.

Li, Lan; Hu, Boxuan; Liu, Qingyi; Shi, Xiao-Lei; Chen, Zhi-Gang · Adv Mater · 2024

review · Level V

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Abstract

Environmental-friendless and high-performance thermoelectrics play a significant role in exploring sustainable clean energy. Among them, AgSbTe<sub>2</sub> thermoelectrics, benefiting from the disorder in the cation sublattice and interface scattering from secondary phases of Ag<sub>2</sub>Te and Sb<sub>2</sub>Te<sub>3</sub>, exhibit low thermal conductivity and a maximum figure-of-merit ZT of 2.6 at 573 K via optimizing electrical properties and addressing phase transition issues. Therefore, AgSbTe<sub>2</sub> shows considerable potential as a promising medium-temperature thermoelectric material. Additionally, with the increasing demands for device integration and portability in the information age, the research on flexible and wearable AgSbTe<sub>2</sub> thermoelectrics aligns with contemporary development needs, leading to a growing number of research findings. This work provides a detailed and timely review of AgSbTe<sub>2</sub>-based thermoelectrics from materials to devices. Principles and performance optimization strategies are highlighted for the thermoelectric performance enhancement in AgSbTe<sub>2</sub>. The current challenges and future research directions of AgSbTe<sub>2</sub>-based thermoelectrics are pointed out. This review will guide the development of high-performance AgSbTe<sub>2</sub>-based thermoelectrics for practical applications.