Investigation of the Effect of MoSe2 on the Thermoelectric Properties of n-Type Bi2Te2.4Se0.6

Thermoelectric materials as a means of direct conversion of heat into electricity are attracting increasing attention. The most efficient n-type thermoelectric materials for temperatures up to 300°C are currently Bi2TexSe3−x-based. To compete with other methods of energy conversion, the efficiency of such materials should be further increased. The possibility of thermoelectric enhancement of such alloys by introduction of the layered structured MoSe2 phase has been investigated. On introduction of large amounts (up to 15 wt.%) of this phase, no effects of doping were observed, emphasizing the potential of sub-micron homogeneously distributed MoSe2 in such composites to effectively scatter phonons without any adverse contribution to the optimized electronic properties.