SnSe:K x intermetallic thermoelectric polycrystals prepared by arc-melting

Neutron powder diffraction and thermoelectric characterization of SnSe:K x intermetallic alloys are presented. Nanostructured ingots were prepared by arc-melting elemental tin and selenium along with potassium hydride. Up to x = 0.1 of K can be incorporated into SnSe. Rietveld refinement of the diffractograms locates potassium on the Sn site in the high-temperature Cmcm structure. However, in the low-temperature Pnma structure, K cannot be localized by difference Fourier maps, indicating the incorporation of K in a disordered form in the interlayer space. STEM-EELS indicates the incorporation of K into the SnSe grains. The resistivity upon K-doping at intermediate temperatures decreases by 1–2 orders of magnitude, but at high temperature is higher than the undoped SnSe. The Seebeck coefficient of K-doped SnSe remains p-type and almost temperature independent (400 μV/K for x = 0.1). The ultralow thermal conductivity of undoped SnSe decreases further upon K-doping to below 0.3 W/m K.