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Structural Heterogeneity in Medium-Entropy AgMnSbPbTe4 for Glassy Thermal Transport and High Thermoelectric
Yukun Liu1,2, Zhi Li1, Debattam Sarkar3
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|January 6, 2026
Summary
Medium-entropy semiconductors with structural heterogeneity exhibit phonon-glass electron-crystal behavior. This leads to ultralow thermal conductivity and enhanced thermoelectric performance in AgMnSbPbTe4.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Solid-State Physics
- Thermodynamics
Background:
- Medium-entropy semiconductors are entropy-engineered materials with atomic randomness.
- Structural heterogeneity can arise from competing phase formations in these materials.
- Understanding nanostructure evolution is crucial for optimizing material properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the formation and evolution of endotaxial nanoprecipitates in AgMnSbPbTe4.
- To analyze the impact of structural heterogeneity on thermal transport properties.
- To evaluate the thermoelectric performance of medium-entropy semiconductors with engineered nanostructures.
Main Methods:
- Microscopic identification of homogeneous medium-entropy semiconductor AgMnSbPbTe4.
- Analysis of crystallographic phase evolution (cubic to monoclinic) during thermal annealing.
- Measurement of lattice thermal conductivity and thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT).
Main Results:
- Endotaxial nanoprecipitates formed and evolved from cubic to monoclinic phase within AgMnSbPbTe4.
- Nanophase segregation induced significant strain fluctuations and atomic displacements.
- Achieved ultralow lattice thermal conductivity (0.312 Wm⁻¹K⁻¹) and a maximum ZT of 1.72 at 800 K.
Conclusions:
- Structural heterogeneity in medium-entropy semiconductors can lead to beneficial phonon-glass electron-crystal transport.
- Engineered nanostructures in AgMnSbPbTe4 significantly enhance thermoelectric properties.
- This work demonstrates the potential of exploiting microstructural complexity for advanced thermoelectric materials.
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