Microstructural transformation for robust and high-efficiency Zintl thermoelectrics
Nature Communications, vol. 16, pp. 7592
Abstract
Thermoelectric materials offer an exceptional opportunity to convert waste heat into electricity directly, yet their widespread application remains hindered by intrinsic brittleness and poor processability. Here, we introduce a graded ball milling strategy that fundamentally enhances the mechanical robustness and processability of YbZn2Sb2-based thermoelectrics. By refining grain microstructure, increasing dislocation density, and promoting intermediate-angle grain boundaries, this approach enables the fabrication of crack-free, large-size, disc-shaped, and microscale dices while maintaining excellent thermoelectric performance. Extending this strategy to a broader class of brittle Zintl compounds, including AZn2Sb2, AMg2Sb2, and ACd2Sb2 (A = Yb, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba), we achieve a pre-formation cohesive energy of 9.1 eV atom−1 and relatively low lattice thermal conductivity of 0.5 W m−1 K−1 in Yb0.5Mg1.3Zn1.2Sb2. Integrated with n-type Mg3.1Nb0.1Sb1.5Bi0.49Te0.01, the thermoelectric module achieves a conversion efficiency exceeding 10% under a 458 K temperature gradient, operating for more than 40 hours steadily. This work establishes a scalable and versatile strategy for reconciling mechanical durability with high thermoelectric performance, paving the way for next-generation thermoelectric devices with enhanced reliability and industrial viability. The authors propose a graded ball milling strategy to improve the strength and efficiency of brittle Zintl thermoelectrics, enabling robust, high-performance modules for stable and scalable waste heat energy harvesting.
Authors 9
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Donghua University · RWTH Aachen University
Affiliation as printed
Institute of Physics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
State Key Laboratory of Advanced Fiber Materials, Institute of Functional Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, China
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Qinghua Zhang corresponding
Leibniz University Hannover · Donghua University · Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf
Affiliation as printed
Department of Mathematics and Physics, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Welfengarten 1A, Hannover, Germany
Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf e.V., Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Dresden, Germany. q.zhang@dhu.edu.cn
State Key Laboratory of Advanced Fiber Materials, Institute of Functional Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, China. q.zhang@dhu.edu.cn
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Donghua University · RWTH Aachen University
Affiliation as printed
Institute of Physics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
State Key Laboratory of Advanced Fiber Materials, Institute of Functional Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, China
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Donghua University · Max-Planck-Institut für Nachhaltige Materialien
Affiliation as printed
State Key Laboratory of Advanced Fiber Materials, Institute of Functional Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, China
Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials, Max-Planck-Straße 1, Düsseldorf, Germany
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Shanghai University of Engineering Science · Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research · Max-Planck-Institut für Nachhaltige Materialien
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials, Max-Planck-Straße 1, Düsseldorf, Germany
Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden e.V, Dresden, Germany. x.ai@ifw-dresden.de
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai, China. x.ai@ifw-dresden.de
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Xin Ai corresponding
Leibniz University Hannover · Shanghai University of Engineering Science · Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research
Affiliation as printed
Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden e.V, Dresden, Germany. x.ai@ifw-dresden.de
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai, China. x.ai@ifw-dresden.de
Department of Mathematics and Physics, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Welfengarten 1A, Hannover, Germany
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Leibniz University Hannover · Donghua University
Affiliation as printed
Department of Mathematics and Physics, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Welfengarten 1A, Hannover, Germany
Engineering Research Center of Advanced Glasses Manufacturing Technology, Ministry of Education, Donghua University, Shanghai, China. wanglj@dhu.edu.cn
State Key Laboratory of Advanced Fiber Materials, Institute of Functional Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, China. wanglj@dhu.edu.cn
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Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf
Affiliation as printed
Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf e.V., Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Dresden, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
State Key Laboratory of Advanced Fiber Materials, Institute of Functional Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, China
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