Issue 24, 2021

Ultralow lattice thermal conductivity and dramatically enhanced thermoelectric properties of monolayer InSe induced by an external electric field

Abstract

With the ability to alter the inherent interatomic electrostatic interactions, modulating external electric field strength is a promising approach to tune the phonon transport behavior and enhance the thermoelectric performance of two-dimensional (2D) materials. Here, by applying an electric field (Ez = 0.1 V Å−1), it is predicted that an ultralow value of the lattice thermal conductivity (0.016 W m−1 K−1) at 300 K of 2D indium selenide (InSe) is nearly three orders of magnitude lower than that under an electric field of 0 V Å−1 (27.49 W m−1 K−1). Meanwhile, we calculated the variations in the electrical conductivities, electronic thermal conductivities, Seebeck coefficients, and figure of merit (ZT) of 2D InSe along with the carrier (hole and electron doping) concentrations under some representative electric fields. Owing to the smaller total thermal conductivity along the armchair and zigzag directions, p-type doped 2D InSe at Ez = 0.1 V Å−1 exhibits a larger ZT value (∼1.6) compared to the ZT value (∼0.1) without an electric field at room temperature. The peak ZT value (∼0.53) of the n-type 2D InSe at Ez = 0.1 V Å−1 is much higher than that without an electric field (∼0.02) at the same temperature. Our results pave the way for applying an external electric field to modulate the phonon transport properties and greatly promote the thermoelectric performance of some specific 2D semiconductor materials without altering their crystal structure.

Graphical abstract: Ultralow lattice thermal conductivity and dramatically enhanced thermoelectric properties of monolayer InSe induced by an external electric field

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
07 Apr 2021
Accepted
24 May 2021
First published
25 May 2021

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2021,23, 13633-13646

Ultralow lattice thermal conductivity and dramatically enhanced thermoelectric properties of monolayer InSe induced by an external electric field

Z. Chang, K. Yuan, Z. Sun, X. Zhang, Y. Gao, G. Qin and D. Tang, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2021, 23, 13633 DOI: 10.1039/D1CP01510A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements