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Lattice symmetrization and band convergence advance high thermoelectric performance in diamond-like Cu3SbSe4 compounds
Journal of Materiomics 2026, 12(4)
Published: 15 April 2026
Abstract Collect

Cu3SbSe4 compounds with a diamond-like structure are promising eco-friendly p-type thermoelectric materials. However, their thermoelectric performance is limited by low intrinsic carrier concentration and mobility. This study employed GeMnTe2 doping to simultaneously regulate the electronic band structure and carrier transport properties of Cu3SbSe4. First-principles calculations show that Mn ions introduce a resonant state (3d orbital) and promote band convergence, enhancing the density-of-states effective mass near the Fermi level. Concurrently, GeMnTe2 doping induced the lattice relaxation effect and promoted the transformation of the matrix structure to a pseudocubic structure with higher symmetry, which reduced the deformation potential and inhibited the decreasing in carrier mobility under heavy doping. Multi-scale defects, including point defects and Ge/MnOx nanoprecipitates, strongly suppressed the lattice thermal conductivity. Therefore, the power factor of 11.5 μW·cm−1·K−2 was reached by the 1.5% (in mole) GeMnTe2 doped sample, and the peak ZT of ~1.2 was obtained at 723 K. Meanwhile, the hardness and modulus of the optimized sample were increased by 10%. These findings indicate that the electrical transport properties of Cu3SbSe4 can be synergistically optimized by band engineering and lattice symmetry tuning. This study provides a valuable method for the design of high-performance diamond-like thermoelectric materials.

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