Date of Graduation
Fall 2023
Degree
Master of Science in Materials Science
Department
Physics, Astronomy, and Materials Science
Committee Chair
Tiglet Besara
Abstract
The development of new thermoelectric materials is of great interest due to their potential to convert waste heat into useful electricity. The primary problem is that the physical factors that are utilized to assess thermoelectric performance conflict with one another. One way to improve their performance is to hinder the lattice from conducting heat through its vibrations while maintaining the heat conduction via the electrons. This can be done by creating cage structures that allow heavy atoms to jiggle. In this study, we report the synthesis of a group of such compounds, using the self-flux method. They all belong to the MM’2Zn20 family where the transition metals (M and M’) are inside Zn-formed cages. The synthesized crystals were characterized using electron dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and single crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD). Additionally, magnetic measurements were performed to investigate the magnetic properties. Future plans include optimization of growth parameters to grow larger crystals for thermoelectric measurements.
Keywords
Thermoelectric materials, flux, crystals, magnetism, cage-structure
Subject Categories
Condensed Matter Physics | Other Materials Science and Engineering
Copyright
© Nusrat Yasmin
Recommended Citation
YASMIN, NUSRAT, "Synthesis and Characterization of Cage-Structured Compounds as Promising Thermoelectric Materials" (2023). MSU Graduate Theses. 3933.
https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/3933
Open Access
