Large Seebeck Coefficients of Protonated Titanate Nanotubes for High-Temperature Thermoelectric Conversion

摘要

Titanate nanotubes Na_(2-x)H_xTi3O7 produced by alkali hydrothermally treated ground TiO2 aerogels are investigated as possible materials for high-temperature thermoelectric conversion by measuring their.thermoelectric properties. Strikingly, the Seebeck coefficients increased sharply in the temperature range 745 to 1032 K, reaching a maximum of 302 μV/K. The electrical resistivity of the TN NTs ranged from 325 to 525 Ωm, which is lower than that of bulk TiO3, and thermal conductivities at room temperature were also very low, ranging from 0.55 to 0.75 Wm~(-1) K~(-1). The.hollow structure of the titanate nanotubes, with small, uniform diameters, is thought to be responsible for the ultralow thermal conductivity. The large thermoelectric power and ultralow thermal conductivity suggest that titanate nanotubes represent a new kind of p-type oxide thermoelectric material.