Thermoelectric properties of P-doped and V-doped Fe2O3 for renewable energy conversion

The effect of P and V contents on the microstructure and thermoelectric properties of Fe2-xMxO3 (M: P and V; 0x0.01) is studied. Higher P and V contents result in increases of both the grain size and density, thus increasing the electrical conductivity. The absolute values of the Seebeck coefficients of the Fe2-xPxO3 and Fe2-xVxO3 increase with increasing P and V contents up to x=0.0075 and 0.005, respectively, and then decrease with further increase of its concentration. The addition of a small amount of V (0.005) to Fe2O3 leads to a marked increase in both the electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient. This means that the introduction of a small amount of V is highly effective for improving the thermoelectric properties of Fe2O3. Copyright (c) 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.