Controlling Morphology and Its Effects on the Thermoelectric Properties of SnSe2 Nanostructured Thin Films

Abstract

In this decade thermoelectric investigations of the layered structured of tin selenide (SnSe) has been carried out in more details to explore its great thermoelectric potential. It is found recently that SnSe has high efficiency and environmentally benign nature, free of toxic elements such as Pb and Te. Tin diselenide is another important chalcogenide structure from the same family but till now its thermoelectric properties are not that much explored. Due to its layered type of nature, we expect that its morphology may have profound effect on its thermal and electronic transport properties. Hence we have tried to synthesis SnSe2 structure in different morphological forms via solvothermal synthesis mechanism. These various morphologies of the structure were obtained by varying different reaction parameters such as time and temperature. The thermoelectric investigations on the various morphologies of the snse2 suggest that by modifying morphology of the SnSe2 structure thermoelectric properties may be prominently affected. The peak power factor we have obtained for the flower like morphology of the snSe2 was 0.69 μWm-1K-2, which was synthesized at 575 K of reaction temperature.

In this decade thermoelectric investigations of the layered structured of tin selenide (SnSe) has been carried out in more details to explore its great thermoelectric potential. It is found recently that SnSe has high efficiency and environmentally benign nature, free of toxic elements such as Pb and Te. Tin diselenide is another important chalcogenide structure from the same family but till now its thermoelectric properties are not that much explored. Due to its layered type of nature, we expect that its morphology may have profound effect on its thermal and electronic transport properties. Hence we have tried to synthesis SnSe2 structure in different morphological forms via solvothermal synthesis mechanism. These various morphologies of the structure were obtained by varying different reaction parameters such as time and temperature. The thermoelectric investigations on the various morphologies of the snse2 suggest that by modifying morphology of the SnSe2 structure thermoelectric properties may be prominently affected. The peak power factor we have obtained for the flower like morphology of the snSe2 was 0.69 μWm-1K-2, which was synthesized at 575 K of reaction temperature.