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Ultrasonically assisted hydrothermal synthesis of nano-structured Bi2Te3 semiconductors for thermal energy recovery

P. SFIRLOAGA1,* , S. NOVACONI1, P. VLAZAN1, I. BADEA1,2, I. GROZESCU1,2

Affiliation

  1. National Institute for Research and Development in Electrochemistry and Condensed Matter, Timisoara, Condensed Matter Department, P. Andronescu Street, 300254, Timisoara, Romania
  2. Politehnica” University from Timisoara, P-ta Victoriei Street, 34206, Timisoara, Romania

Abstract

Bismuth telluride semiconductors have been identified as potential high-performance thermoelectric materials, by offering an important thermoelectric-performance advantage for generating electrical energy from heat sources. Nanocrystalline powders of Bi2Te3 with different morphology and particle size 30-40 nm were prepared by ultrasonically assisted hydrothermal method of bismuth chloride and tellurium in aqueous solution with different concentration of NaBH4 as reducing agent at 200°C for 5 hours and 80% fill degree of autoclave. The influences of precursors and hydrothermal treatment conditions on the formation features, phase composition, particle size, morphology and properties of the products were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDAX) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The paper reports a comparative study regarding the precursors influence and hydrothermal condition of obtaining nano-structured thermoelectric materials. It was found that hydrothermal processing result in formation of low dimensional dispersion of Bi2Te3 nanostructures with desirable form and size and high degree of crystallinity..

Keywords

Bismuth telluride, Thermoelectric materials, Hydrothermal method, Ultrasonic, semiconductors.

Citation

P. SFIRLOAGA, S. NOVACONI, P. VLAZAN, I. BADEA, I. GROZESCU, Ultrasonically assisted hydrothermal synthesis of nano-structured Bi2Te3 semiconductors for thermal energy recovery, Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials - Rapid Communications, 7, 9-10, September-October 2013, pp.806-809 (2013).

Submitted at: June 27, 2013

Accepted at: Sept. 18, 2013