High‐Performance Thermoelectric SnSe: Aqueous Synthesis, Innovations, and Challenges

Abstract Tin selenide (SnSe) is one of the most promising candidates to realize environmentally friendly, cost‐effective, and high‐performance thermoelectrics, derived from its outstanding electrical transport properties by appropriate bandgaps and intrinsic low lattice thermal conductivity from its...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Xiao‐Lei Shi, Xinyong Tao, Jin Zou, Zhi‐Gang Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2020-04-01
Series:Advanced Science
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.201902923
Description
Summary:Abstract Tin selenide (SnSe) is one of the most promising candidates to realize environmentally friendly, cost‐effective, and high‐performance thermoelectrics, derived from its outstanding electrical transport properties by appropriate bandgaps and intrinsic low lattice thermal conductivity from its anharmonic layered structure. Advanced aqueous synthesis possesses various unique advantages including convenient morphology control, exceptional high doping solubility, and distinctive vacancy engineering. Considering that there is an urgent demand for a comprehensive survey on the aqueous synthesis technique applied to thermoelectric SnSe, herein, a thorough overview of aqueous synthesis, characterization, and thermoelectric performance in SnSe is provided. New insights into the aqueous synthesis‐based strategies for improving the performance are provided, including vacancy synergy, crystallization design, solubility breakthrough, and local lattice imperfection engineering, and an attempt to build the inherent links between the aqueous synthesis‐induced structural characteristics and the excellent thermoelectric performance is presented. Furthermore, the significant advantages and potentials of an aqueous synthesis route for fabricating SnSe‐based 2D thermoelectric generators, including nanorods, nanobelts, and nanosheets, are also discussed. Finally, the controversy, strategy, and outlook toward future enhancement of SnSe‐based thermoelectric materials are also provided. This Review guides the design of thermoelectric SnSe with high performance and provides new perspectives as a reference for other thermoelectric systems.
ISSN:2198-3844