| Abstract Scope |
AgSbTe2 is a promising thermoelectric compound in the mid-temperature range. Even slightly changing the ratio of each element can optimize their thermal and electrical properties effectively. However, the high electrical resistivity (ρ) affects its power factor (S2ρ), resulting in the figure-of-merit zT only ~1 at 623 K. In this research, the stoichiometric ratios for the pristine AgSbTe2 is tuned, resulting in the enhanced Seebeck coefficient (S) as well as the higher electrical conductivity. Combined with the low thermal conductivity (κ), the figure-of-merit zT increased to ~1.4. Secondly, the κ and κL are further reduced after proper doping, while the power factor remains unchanged. Our AgSbTe2-based alloys attain the peak zT ~1.7 at 623 K and an average zTave ~1.15 within 300 - 623 K, outperforming most AgSbTe2-based materials. |