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Electrical transport properties of Co-based skutterudites filled with Ag and Au

This work presents theoretical calculations of the electrical transport properties of the Ag, Au, and La fractionally filled bulk skutterudites: CoSb3, CoAs3, and CoP3. Density functional theory (DFT), along with projector augmented wave (PAW) potentials, was used to calculate bulk band structures and partial density of states. The Seebeck coefficient (S), electrical conductivity (s), and power factor (S2 s) were calculated as a function of temperature and filling fraction using the momentum matrix method along the entire first Brillouin zone. Calculated trends in the electrical transport properties agree with previously published experimental measurements for p-type unfilled and La filled CoSb3. The calculated S and s values for the Ag and Au filled compounds indicates that the most promising electronic properties are exhibited by p-type Au0.125(CoSb3)4, Au0.25(CoSb3)4, and Au(CoSb3)4. Au is therefore recommended as a promising filler for improved thermoelectric properties in cobalt antimonides. Ag is also a good filler for cobalt phosphides; the creation of a negative indirect band gap is observed in Ag(CoP3)4, which indicates semimetallic behavior, so this compound may possibly exhibit lower thermal conductivity than metallic CoP3. Finally, we recommend future directions for improving the thermoelectric figure of merit of these materials.