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Nanostructures and defects in nonequilibrium-synthesized filled skutterudite CeFe4Sb12

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 April 2011

Juan Zhou ,
Qing Jie ,
Lijun Wu ,
Ivo Dimitrov ,
Qiang Li  and
Xun Shi
Juan Zhou
Affiliation:
Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973
Qing Jie
Affiliation:
Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973
Lijun Wu
Affiliation:
Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973
Ivo Dimitrov
Affiliation:
Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973
Qiang Li*
Affiliation:
Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973
Xun Shi
Affiliation:
CAS Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: qiangli@bnl.gov
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Abstract

We studied nanoprecipitates (NPs) and defects in p-type filled skutterudite CeFe4Sb12 prepared by a nonequilibrium melt spinning plus spark plasma sintering method using transmission electron microscopy. NPs with mostly spherical shapes and different sizes (from several nanometers to several tens of nanometers) have been observed. Among these, two types of NPs were most commonly observed, Sb-rich superlattices and CeSb2. The Sb-rich superlattices with a periodicity of about 3.6 nm were induced by the ordering of excessive Sb atoms along the c-direction. These NPs typically share coherent interfaces with the surrounding matrix and induce anisotropic strain fields in the matrix. NPs with compositions close to CeSb2, on the other hand, have been shown to be much larger in size (∼30 nm) and have orthorhombic structures. Various defects were typically observed on the interfaces between these NPs and the matrix. The strain fields induced by these NPs are less distinct, possibly because part of the strain has been released by defect formation.

Keywords

DefectsThermoelectricityTransmission electron microscopy
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 26 , Issue 15: Focus Issue: Advances in Thermoelectric Materials , 14 August 2011 , pp. 1842 - 1847
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

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