Electrochemical assembled p-type Bi2Te3 thermoelectric materials with nanowire array structure

The electrodeposition process of p-type Bi2Te3 thermoelectric materials in the solution containing Bi+3 and HTeO2+1 was investigated. During the electrodeposition prosess, Bi+3 can promote the reduction of HTeO2+1. The addition of glycerin in the electrodepositing solution can decrease the solving rate of alumina templates in the solution, but glycerin also decreases the electrodeposition rate remarkably. The p-type Bi2Te3 thermoelectric materials with nanowire array structure were electrochemically assembled into the nano-pores of the alumina template. The performance measurements show that the Seebeck coefficient alpha of the nanowire array is much higher than that of the bulk thermoelectric materials with the same composition.