Novel synthesis recipes boosting thermoelectric study of A <sub>2</sub> Q (A = Cu, Ag; Q = S, Se, Te)
Dongwang Yang, Allen Benton, Jian He, Xinfeng Tang
Abstract
Abstract Discovering new materials and developing novel synthesis techniques are like two wheels of a cart in materials-based science and technology. As is often the case, innovative synthesis recipe can rejuvenate the research landscape of a material that is otherwise thought to be matured. A good example of such is the narrow band gap semiconductor/semimetal family of A 2 Q (A = Cu, Ag; Q = S, Se, Te). Here we briefly review the recent development of synthesis recipes and the impact on the thermoelectric study of A 2 Q. While the mixed ionic electronic conduction in A 2 Q promises advantages in thermoelectricity, it poses challenges in material synthesis and applications. The concepts, approaches, and strategies embodied in these novel synthesis recipes of A 2 Q can be extended to other materials in diverse regimes of fundamental research and technical applications beyond thermoelectrics.