Ag<sub>2</sub>Se Nanorod Arrays with Ultrahigh Room Temperature Thermoelectric Performance and Superior Mechanical Properties
Jamal Ahmad Khan, Yogita Maithani, J. P. Singh
Abstract
Ag 2 Se is an intriguing material for room-temperature energy harvesting. Herein, we report the fabrication of Ag 2 Se nanorod arrays by glancing angle deposition technique (GLAD) followed by simple selenization in a two-zone furnace. Ag 2 Se planar films of different thickness were also prepared. The unique tilted Ag 2 Se nanorod arrays show excellent zT = 1.14 ± 0.09 and a power factor of 3229.21 ± 149.01 μW/m-K 2, respectively, at 300 K. The superior thermoelectric performance of Ag 2 Se nanorod arrays compared to planar Ag 2 Se films could be ascribed to the unique nanocolumnar architecture that not only facilitates efficient electron transport but also significantly scatters phonons at the interfaces. Furthermore, the nanoindentation measurements were performed to explore mechanical properties of the as-prepared films. The Ag 2 Se nanorod arrays showed hardness values of 116.51 ± 4.25 MPa and elastic modulus of 10,966.01 ± 529.61 MPa, which are lowered by 51.8 and 45.6%, compared to Ag 2 Se films, respectively. The synergetic dependence between the tilt structure and thermoelectric properties accompanied with the simultaneous improvement in mechanical properties opens a new avenue for the practical applications of Ag 2 Se in next-generation flexible thermoelectric devices.