Grain Boundary Engineering Enhances the Thermoelectric Properties of Y2Te3

The performance of thermoelectric materials is typically assessed using the dimensionless figure of merit, zT. Increasing zT is challenging due to the intricate relationships between electrical and thermal transport properties. This study focuses on Y₂Te₃-based thermoelectric materials, which are predicted to be promising for high-temperature applications due to their inherently low lattice thermal conductivity. A series of Y_2+xTe₃ compositions with excess Y is synthesized to explore the effects on electronic and structural characteristics. Density functional theory calculations suggest that additional Y atoms increase charge carriers, thereby enhancing electrical conductivity and boosting thermoelectric performance. X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that the presence of excess Y reduces lattice volume and alters bonding structures. Furthermore, the addition of Bi significantly enhances the power factor by promoting the segregation of elemental Bi particles and the formation of Y-Bi-rich grain boundaries, which improve weighted mobility. This microstructural optimization leads to a fourfold increase in the Seebeck coefficient, resulting in a peak zT of 1.23 at 973 K and a predicted maximum conversion efficiency of 10.3% under a temperature difference of 673 K. These findings highlight the potential of Y₂Te₃ for high-temperature thermoelectric applications and demonstrate the effectiveness of grain boundary engineering in enhancing thermoelectric performance.