Stabilized copper selenide thermoelectric materials and methods of fabrication thereof

1. A thermoelectric composition comprising:

a nanocomposite comprising a copper selenide (Cu 2 Se) matrix having a plurality of nanoinclusions comprising copper metal selenide (CuMSe 2 ) distributed therein, wherein M is selected from the group consisting of: indium (In), aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), and combinations thereof and the thermoelectric composition has an average figure of merit (ZT) of greater than or equal to about 1.5 at a temperature of less than or equal to about 850K (about 577° C.).

2. The thermoelectric composition of claim 1 , wherein M is indium and the copper metal selenide comprises CuInSe 2 , so that the nanocomposite is represented by (1−x)Cu 2 Se/(x)CuInSe 2 , wherein x is greater than or equal to about 0.005 to less than or equal to about 0.1.

3. The thermoelectric composition of claim 2 , wherein the thermoelectric composition has a maximum figure of merit (ZT) of greater than or equal to about 2 at a temperature of less than or equal to about 850K (about 577° C.).

4. The thermoelectric composition of claim 2 , wherein x is greater than or equal to about 0.005 and less than or equal to about 0.03.

5. The thermoelectric composition of claim 2 , wherein x is about 0.01.

6. The thermoelectric composition of claim 1 , wherein the nanocomposite comprises M at greater than or equal to about 0.5 mol. % to less than or equal to about 10 mol. %.

7. The thermoelectric composition of claim 1 , wherein the nanocomposite comprises M at greater than or equal to about 0.5 mol. % to less than or equal to about 3 mol. %.

8. The thermoelectric composition of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nanoinclusions further comprises Cu 4-y Ag y Se 2 , where y is greater than 0 and less than 4.

9. A thermoelectric device comprising:

a first electrode;

a second electrode having an opposite polarity to the first electrode;

a first side having a first temperature;

a second side having a second temperature that is less than the first temperature; and

a thermoelectric component is electrical communication with the first electrode and the second electrode and in thermal communication with the first side and the second side, the thermoelectric component comprising a thermoelectric nanocomposite composition comprising a copper selenide (Cu 2 Se) matrix having a plurality of nanoinclusions comprising copper metal selenide (CuMSe 2 ) distributed therein, wherein M is selected from the group consisting of: indium (In), aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), and combinations thereof and the thermoelectric nanocomposite composition has an average figure of merit (ZT) of greater than or equal to about 1.5 at a temperature of less than or equal to about 850K (about 577° C.).

10. The thermoelectric device of claim 9 , wherein the thermoelectric device is used as a power source for a device selected from the group consisting of: a wearable electronic device, an implantable electronic device, a vehicle, an industrial facility, a nuclear power plant, a manufacturing facility, a submarine, a remote power generator, a radioisotope thermal generators (RTG), and combinations thereof.

11. A method of making a thermoelectric composition comprising:

converting a precursor comprising copper diselenide (CuSe 2 ) into copper selenide (Cu 2 Se) and copper metal selenide (CuMSe 2 ) by reacting the precursor with a reagent metal (M′) selected from the group consisting of: copper (Cu), silver (Ag), and combinations thereof and a metal (M) selected from the group consisting of: indium (In), aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), and combinations thereof to form a nanocomposite comprising a matrix of the copper selenide (Cu 2 Se) having a plurality of nanoinclusions comprising the copper metal selenide (CuMSe 2 ) distributed therein, wherein the nanocomposite has an average figure of merit (ZT) of greater than or equal to about 1.5 at a temperature of less than or equal to about 850K (about 577° C.).

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the reagent metal (M′) comprises copper (Cu) and silver (Ag).

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the converting is a sequential solid-state transformation of the precursor, wherein the reagent metal (M′) comprises copper (Cu) and M comprises indium (In) and a (1−x)CuSe 2 /(x)CuInSe 2 nanocomposite is made via a partial transformation of the CuSe 2 in the precursor via a first reaction represented by:

CuSe 2 +( x )In→(1 −x )CuSe 2 +( x )CuInSe 2 ;

adding the reagent metal (M′) comprising copper (Cu) to the products of the first reaction to transform remaining copper diselenide (CuSe 2 ) into copper selenide (Cu 2 Se) via a second reaction represented by:

(1 −x )CuSe 2 +3(1 −x )Cu+( x )CuInSe 2 →(1 −x )Cu 4 Se 2 +( x )CuInSe 2 .

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein M is indium (In) that is added to the precursor comprising CuSe 2 at greater than or equal to about 0.5 mol. % to less than or equal 10 mol. %.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein indium (In) is added to the precursor comprising CuSe 2 at about 1 mol. %.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the converting is a sequential solid-state transformation of the precursor, wherein M is indium (In) that is added to the precursor comprising CuSe 2 in a ball mill under an inert atmosphere to generate CuInSe 2 , and the reagent metal (M′) comprises elemental copper (Cu) added to convert remaining copper diselenide (CuSe 2 ) to copper selenide (Cu 2 Se) to form a product comprising a mixed powder comprising copper selenide (Cu 2 Se) and copper indium selenide (CuInSe 2 ).

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein mixed powder is removed from the ball mill and compressed into high density pellets.