Cobalt doped SnO2: A new material for thermoelectric application

Abstract

Due to the environmental crisis of energy, the depletion and increasing price of fossil fuel resources, current research focuses on sustainable and renewable energy sources for power generation. Meanwhile, electricity remains the most convenient form of energy in the near future, the conversion of heat into electricity acquires wide acceptance. Thermoelectric generation can be considered as an amble method to scavenge the heat energy for the generation of electricity. In this work we investigate the structural, chemical and thermoelectric property of SnO2 based samples with varying concentration of cobalt ion. The thermoelectric properties were measured in a temperature 100-700 0C and found that cobalt doped samples posses a remarkable effect on transport properties compared to pristine SnO2. Negative thermopower ensured that electrons are the majority charge carriers. Seebeck coefficient for 5 wt % of cobalt doping was found to be -364 µV/K, so that it can be considered as a potential candidate for thermoelectric application. The figure of merit (ZT) of the material gets enhanced on cobalt doping and found to increase with increment in temperature so that it can be used for high temperature thermoelectric application. Copyright © 2018 VBRI Press.