High-temperature thermoelectric properties of Cu2In4Te7

Cu2Ga4Te7 has recently been reported to have a relatively high thermoelectric (TE) figure of merit (ZT). However, the TE properties of Cu2In4Te7, which has the same defect zinc-blende structure as Cu2Ga4Te7, have been hardly investigated. Here, we demonstrate that Cu2In4Te7 has relatively high ZT values that are similar to those of Cu2Ga4Te7. High-density polycrystalline bulk samples of Cu2In4Te7 were prepared and their electrical resistivity (?), Seebeck coefficient (S), and thermal conductivity (?) were measured. Cu2In4Te7 has a maximum ZT of 0.3 at 700 K, with ?, S, and ? values of 62.1 x 105 O m, 394 mu V K1, and 0.61 W m1 K1, respectively. (C)2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)