Localised Ag(+) vibrations at the origin of ultralow thermal conductivity in layered thermoelectric AgCrSe2.

ABSTRACT: In materials science, the substructure approach consists in imagining complex materials in which a particular property is associated with a distinct structural feature, so as to combine different chosen physical characteristics, which otherwise have little chance to coexist. Applied to thermoelectric materials, it has been used to achieve simultaneously phonon-glass and electron-crystal properties. Mostly studied for its superionic conductivity, AgCrSe2 is a naturally layered compound, which achieves very low thermal conductivity, ~0.4 W.K(-1).m(-1) at RT (room temperature), and is considered a promising thermoelectric. The Cr atoms of the [CrSe2]∞ layer bear a spin S = 3/2, which orders below TN = 55 K. Here we report low temperature inelastic neutron scattering experiments on AgCrSe2, al

SUBMITTER: Damay F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4802330 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature