Sr1−xLaxTiO3 nanoparticles: Synthesis, characterization and enhanced thermoelectric response

Nanotechnology may bring new thermoelectric properties to conventional materials. In this work, we investigate the thermoelectric response in Sr1−xLaxTiO3 nanoparticle compacts fabricated by a hydrothermal method followed by a cold-pressure procedure. The expansion of the unit cells in nanoparticles results in the enhancement of thermopower. The morphology of nanoparticle compacts containing numerous interfaces strongly suppresses the phonon thermal conductivity. The ZT value of the nanoparticle compacts reaches ∼0.12 at 300 K, almost 30% larger than those of both epitaxial films and single crystals.

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► Sr1−xLaxTiO3 compacts consisting of single-crystalline nanoparticles are fabricated. In the nanoparticle compacts, thermopower is enhanced whereas thermal conductivity is strongly suppressed. An effectively improved thermoelectric performance is obtained in such nanoparticle compacts. Nanoengineering may bring both intrinsic and extrinsic changes to conventional thermoelectric oxides.