Investigation of the Effect of MoSe₂ on the Thermoelectric Properties of n-Type Bi₂Te_2.4Se_0.6

Thermoelectric materials as a means of direct conversion of heat into electricity are attracting increasing attention. The most efficient n-type thermoelectric materials for temperatures up to 300°C are currently Bi₂Te_xSe_3−x-based. To compete with other methods of energy conversion, the efficiency of such materials should be further increased. The possibility of thermoelectric enhancement of such alloys by introduction of the layered structured MoSe₂ phase has been investigated. On introduction of large amounts (up to 15 wt.%) of this phase, no effects of doping were observed, emphasizing the potential of sub-micron homogeneously distributed MoSe₂ in such composites to effectively scatter phonons without any adverse contribution to the optimized electronic properties.