Thermoelectric and structural properties of Zn4Sb3 under hydrostatic pressure

The effect of hydrostatic pressure has been investigated on the thermoelectric properties of Zn4Sb3 compound prepared by a gradient freeze method. The electrical conductivity both in β- and α-phases is largely enhanced with pressure: the relative change is 23.3%/GPa at 297 K. On the other hand, the thermopower at 297 K is decreased largely with pressure at −16.0μ V K−1 GPa−1: the relative change is −13.6−13.6 %/GPa. The almost pressure independent power factor is discussed based on a single band model. The resistivity behavior around the β- to α-phase structural phase transition TsTs (258 K) is drastically changed with pressure. The thermal hysteresis width is narrowed in ρ(T)ρ(T). The TsTs is decreased at a rate of −26.2−26.2  K/GPa.