Thermoelectric properties of Cu and Cr disordered CuCrX2(X=S, Se): a first principles study

The layered antiferromagnetic ACrX(2) -type compounds are currently highlighted as prominent material candidates for low- and intermediate-temperature thermoelectric (TE) applications. A key to attain the enhanced TE characteristics is to apply high-temperature sintering which presumably introduces some cation disorder. Here we present spin unrestricted density functional theory analysis of electronic band structures and TE properties of Cu and Cr disordered CuCrX(2)(X = S, Se) phases. A narrow band gap semiconductor to metal transition is observed on 8.3% Cr-site disorder for both the compounds, X = S and Se. The large p-type Seebeck coefficient realized in the metallic state for the Cr-disordered phases is the factor that makes these phases promising TE materials. These theoretical findings for the Cr-disordered phases are well in line with reported experimental data for electronic transport properties. Contrarily, the results revealed for the Cu-disordered phases do not agree with the experimental data. Hence the results of our theoretical analysis strongly point towards the Cr rather than the Cu disorder picture to explain the TE electronic transport characteristics of the high-temperature sintered phases of CuCrX(2)(X = S, Se).