Thermoelectric material including a multiple transition metal-doped type I clathrate crystal structure

US8097802B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC · US

Inventors

• Jihui Yang · Liaocheng, CN
• Xun Shi · Nanhu, CN
• Shengqiang Bai · Shanghai, CN
• Wenqing Zhang · Shanghai, CN
• Lidong Chen · Shanghai, CN
• Jiong Yang · Shanghai, CN

Key dates

• Filing date: May 1, 2009
• Grant date: Jan 17, 2012
• Expiry date: Apr 8, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10N10/8556

Abstract

A thermoelectric material includes a multiple transition metal-doped type I clathrate crystal structure having the formula A8TMy1TMy2 . . . TMynMzX46-y-y- . . . -y-z. In the formula, A is selected from the group consisting of barium, strontium, and europium; X is selected from the group consisting of silicon, germanium, and tin; M is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, gallium, and indium; TM1, TM2, and TMn are independently selected from the group consisting of 3d, 4d, and 5d transition metals; and y1, y2, yn and Z are actual compositions of TM1, TM2, TMn, and M, respectively. The actual compositions are based upon nominal compositions derived from the following equation: z=8·qA−|Δq1|y1−|Δq2|y2− . . . −|Δqn|yn, wherein qA is a charge state of A, and wherein Δq1, Δq2, Δqn are, respectively, the nominal charge state of the first, second, and n-th TM.