Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 28, 2026
13:01
Modified Single-Loop Reconstruction for Pancreaticoduodenectomy
Published on: September 28, 2019
8.0K
Single-Atom and 1 nm Cluster Co-Modified Thermoelectrics
Yezhen Hua1, Ji-Chang Ren2, Bassem A Al-Maythalony3
1School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, China.
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|January 27, 2026
Summary
We developed a solution-processed strategy to incorporate platinum (Pt) atoms and nanoclusters into Bi2S3, significantly boosting thermoelectric performance. This method enhances charge transfer and reduces thermal conductivity for advanced energy applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Energy Conversion
Background:
- Size-dependent properties of single atoms and nanoclusters offer tunable functionalities.
- Controlling anti-aggregation of nanoparticles at high temperatures is crucial for applications like thermoelectrics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a strategy for precise incorporation of platinum species (isolated atoms and sub-nanoclusters) into Bi2S3.
- To investigate the impact of platinum size on electronic structure, charge transfer, and phonon scattering.
- To optimize thermoelectric performance of Bi2S3-based composites.
Main Methods:
- Solution-processed strategy for incorporating platinum (Pt1 and Ptn) into Bi2S3.
- Characterization of electronic and phononic properties.
- Evaluation of thermoelectric performance (zT) and conversion efficiency.
Main Results:
- 1 nm platinum nanoclusters (Ptn) showed advantages over larger sizes in tuning electronic structure and charge transfer.
- Both Pt1 and Ptn effectively scattered phonons, with 1 nm Ptn exhibiting ultra-strong phonon Rayleigh scattering.
- Reduced thermal conductivity in Bi2S3-Pt1/Ptn composites.
- Achieved a breakthrough thermoelectric figure of merit (zT) of 1.02 at 773 K and 1.58% conversion efficiency.
Conclusions:
- The developed strategy enables precise control over platinum nanostructure size and dispersion in Bi2S3.
- Optimized Bi2S3-Pt1/Ptn composites demonstrate record thermoelectric performance for Bi2S3 systems.
- The approach is extendable to other thermoelectric materials and energy conversion fields.
Related Concept Videos
01:33Atomic Structure
208.6K
Overview
208.6K
02:44Atomic Orbitals
43.7K
An atomic orbital represents the three-dimensional regions in an atom where an electron has the highest probability to reside. The radial distribution function indicates the total probability of finding an electron within the thin shell at a distance r from the nucleus. The atomic orbitals have distinct shapes which are determined by l, the angular momentum quantum number. The orbitals are often drawn with a boundary surface, enclosing densest regions of the cloud.
43.7K
01:52Atomic Mass
70.0K
Atoms — and the protons, neutrons, and electrons that compose them — are extremely small. For example, a carbon atom weighs less than 2 × 10−23 g. When describing the properties of tiny objects such as atoms, we use appropriately small units of measure, such as the atomic mass unit (amu). The amu was originally defined based on hydrogen, the lightest element, then later in terms of oxygen. Since 1961, it has been defined with regard to the most abundant isotope of carbon, atoms of which...
70.0K
03:24Hybridization of Atomic Orbitals I
66.6K
The mathematical expression known as the wave function, ψ, contains information about each orbital and the wavelike properties of electrons in an isolated atom. When atoms are bound together in a molecule, the wave functions combine to produce new mathematical descriptions that have different shapes. This process of combining the wave functions for atomic orbitals is called hybridization and is mathematically accomplished by the linear combination of atomic orbitals. The new orbitals that...
66.6K
03:21The Energies of Atomic Orbitals
30.1K
In an atom, the negatively charged electrons are attracted to the positively charged nucleus. In a multielectron atom, electron-electron repulsions are also observed. The attractive and repulsive forces are dependent on the distance between the particles, as well as the sign and magnitude of the charges on the individual particles. When the charges on the particles are opposite, they attract each other. If both particles have the same charge, they repel each other.
30.1K
02:59The Atomic Theory of Matter
127.6K
The earliest recorded discussion of the basic structure of matter comes from ancient Greek philosophers. Leucippus and Democritus argued that all matter was composed of small, finite particles that they called atomos, meaning “indivisible.” Later, Aristotle and others came to the conclusion that matter consisted of various combinations of the four “elements” — fire, earth, air, and water — and could be infinitely divided. Interestingly, these philosophers...
127.6K