Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 31, 2026

Phase Behavior of Charged Vesicles Under Symmetric and Asymmetric Solution Conditions Monitored with Fluorescence Microscopy
Published on: October 24, 2017
Long-term stability of phase-separated half-Heusler compounds
1Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Staudingerweg 9, 55128 Mainz, Germany. balke@uni-mainz.de.
Abstract:
Half-Heusler (HH) compounds have shown high figure of merit up to 1.5. Here, we address the long-term stability of n- and p-type HH materials. For this purpose, we investigated HH materials based on the Ti0.3Zr0.35Hf0.35NiSn-system after 500 cycles (1700 h) from 373 to 873 K. Both compounds exhibit a maximum Seebeck coefficient of |α|≈ 210 μV K(-1) and a phase separation into two HH phases. The dendritic microstructure is temperature resistant and upon cycling the changes in the microstructure are so marginal that the low thermal conductivity values (κ < 4 W m(-1) K(-1)) could be maintained. Our results emphasize that phase-separated HH compounds are suitable low cost materials and can lead to enhanced thermoelectric efficiencies beyond the set benchmark for industrial applications.
Related Concept Videos
Stability of Substituted Cyclohexanes
The two chair conformations of cyclohexanes undergo rapid interconversion at room temperature. Both forms have identical energies and stabilities, each comprising equal amounts of the equilibrium mixture. Replacing a hydrogen atom with a functional group makes the two conformations energetically non-equivalent.
For example, in...
Solid–Solid Solutions
Stability of Conjugated Dienes
A comparison of the enthalpies of hydrogenation of dienes reveals that conjugated dienes release less heat on hydrogenation, rendering them more stable than their nonconjugated analogs.
Phase Diagrams of Ternary Systems
The Phase Rule
Complexation Equilibria: Factors Influencing Stability of Complexes

