Solution-based synthesis and characterization of earth abundant Cu3(As,Sb)Se4 nanocrystal alloys: towards scalable room-temperature thermoelectric devices

Abstract

A simple and scalable solution-based synthesis route for impurity free Cu₃(As,Sb)Se₄ nanocrystal alloys is reported. Additionally, a heat treatment process that eliminates many scalability limitations imposed by traditional sintering methods has been demonstrated to significantly improve both the grain structure and electronic properties of the Cu₃(As,Sb)Se₄ nanocrystal based thin films. The combination of a new synthetic pathway with a robust thin film processing methodology offers the promise of widespread application of these materials to many fields. We demonstrate the potential of this material system in a proof-of-concept energy conversion application. Here, the processed Cu₃(As,Sb)Se₄ nanocrystal thin films serve as room temperature thermoelectric materials demonstrating a large thermoelectric performance after heat treatment.