One-dimensional tellurides Ta4SiTe4 and Nb4SiTe4 were found to show high thermoelectric performance below room temperature. This study reported the synthesis and thermoelectric properties of whisker crystals of Ta4SiTe4-Nb4SiTe4 solid solutions and Mo- or Ti-doped (Ta0.5Nb0.5)4SiTe4. Thermoelectric power of the solid solutions systematically increased with increasing Ta content, while their electrical resistivity was unexpectedly small. Mo- and Ti-doped (Ta0.5Nb0.5)4SiTe4 showed n- and p-type thermoelectric properties with large power factors exceeding 40 microW cm-1 K-2, respectively. The fact that not only Ta4SiTe4 and Nb4SiTe4 but also their solid solutions showed high performance indicated that this system is a promising candidate for thermoelectric applications at low temperatures.

中文翻译：

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一维碲化物 Ta4SiTe4 和 Nb4SiTe4 固溶体晶须晶体中的大热电功率因数

发现一维碲化物 Ta4SiTe4 和 Nb4SiTe4 在低于室温时表现出较高的热电性能。本研究报告了 Ta4SiTe4-Nb4SiTe4 固溶体和 Mo 或 Ti 掺杂的 (Ta0.5Nb0.5)4SiTe4 晶须晶体的合成和热电性能。固溶体的热电功率随着 Ta 含量的增加而系统地增加，而它们的电阻率却出乎意料地小。Mo 和 Ti 掺杂的 (Ta0.5Nb0.5)4SiTe4 显示出 n 型和 p 型热电特性，分别具有超过 40 microW cm-1 K-2 的大功率因数。Ta4SiTe4 和 Nb4SiTe4 以及它们的固溶体都表现出高性能的事实表明，该系统是低温热电应用的有希望的候选者。