Facile and fast, microwave assisted solvothermal synthesis of Sb2Se3 nanostructures for thermoelectric applications

Abstract

Sb2Se3 nanostructures has been prepared by fast and facile microwave assisted solvothermal process by two routes with different solvents such as Oleylamine and 1-5 pentane diol which were named as S1 and S3 respectively. Structural properties of S1 shows an orthorhombic polycrystalline nature while highly (211) oriented structures has been observed in S3. The length (diameter) of the as prepared S1 sample of the nanorods were found to be as∼600nm (∼ 50nm). Interestingly, morphology of S3 showedpolypod (spider) kind of shape as similar to commercially available Field Effect transistor (FET) and transistor devices with length (legs) of nanorods as 1-3 µm and diameter as ∼150 nm. Temperature dependent resistance measurements indicates thermal activation behavior with activation energy∼4.4 meV at high temperature and 3D VRH mechanism in the moderate temperature. Temperature dependent thermopower shows a value of S=21.08 µV/K and with the obtained electrical coductivity (σ =124.50 Sm-1), the thermoelectric power factor was calculated to be (P.F.)=0.06 µW/ mK2 around the room temperature.