Synthesis of PbTe nanowires with enhanced seebeck coefficient

A simple synthesis protocol for PbTe nanowires (NWs) preparation with controlled size, e.g. diameter 10-30 nm and length 500-3000 nm, and enhanced seebeck coefficient was demonstrated. The ID growth of PbTe NWs was directed due to the surface bonds between Pb and sucrose, which formed the soft stacking template due to the JI-JI electron interaction. The size and morphology of the NWs were controlled with respect to the reaction temperatures and heating rates, e.g. by injecting the precursors to the solvent directly at 180 °C or by heating the precursors gradually from room temperature to 180 °C. Very high p-type seebeck coefficients >470 μV/K at T = 375-425 K were obtained in the film samples made from PbTe NWs after hydrazine washing and annealing at 300 °C in vacuum. The high seebeck coefficient value was suspected to be related to quantum size confinement or due to phonon drag scattering of the charge carriers. These NWs may give promising potentials for architecture of thermoelectric module applications.