Issue 41, 2019

Inertial effective mass as an effective descriptor for thermoelectrics via data-driven evaluation

Abstract

Effective mass has been touted as an important descriptor in thermoelectric transport. Based on theoretical intuition, some reports demonstrate that low effective mass is preferable in thermoelectrics, while others propose that a large density of states effective mass for high Seebeck is the pathway to better thermoelectric materials. Leveraging on the available data from Materials Project, we present a data-driven conclusion that corroborates the central role of effective mass in high-throughput thermoelectric materials screening. The efficacy of the Fermi surface complexity factor in enhancing power factor is analyzed in relation to the effective mass for a large number of compounds. Here, we show that starting with a low inertial effective mass material, any changes in Fermi surface complexity factor will have a pronounced effect on its thermoelectric power factor and verify this strategy in recently discovered thermoelectric materials. This can be accomplished by employing band engineering using doping, or symmetry distortion, and starting with a base material that intrinsically possesses a low inertial effective mass.

Graphical abstract: Inertial effective mass as an effective descriptor for thermoelectrics via data-driven evaluation

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
04 jun 2019
Accepted
25 jul 2019
First published
26 jul 2019

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2019,7, 23762-23769

Inertial effective mass as an effective descriptor for thermoelectrics via data-driven evaluation

A. Suwardi, D. Bash, H. K. Ng, J. R. Gomez, D. V. M. Repaka, P. Kumar and K. Hippalgaonkar, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2019, 7, 23762 DOI: 10.1039/C9TA05967A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements