On thermal stability of nanocrystalline Ag–Cu-S powders

The nanocrystalline semiconducting compounds based on the AgCuS system are considered as low-cost candidates of thermoelectric materials with improved thermal stability. The nanocrystalline Ag–Cu—S powders were prepared from metal nitrates and sulphur powder in tetraethylene glycol (TEG) solvent by reductive agent NaBH 4 . The crystallite sizes of the observed phases were in the range between 60 and 80 nm. The chemical compositions of the as-received samples were analysed by the ICP-AES method and their phase compositions were evaluated by XRPD. The investigation was supplemented by DSC and in situ HTXRD thermal analysis. A more detailed in situ experiment was performed for a sample containing ternary phases. The nucleation and growth of silver micro-wires were first observed on the substrate involving ternary phases at isothermal heat treatment. The formation of silver wires and semi-conductive ternary thermoelectric phase (stromayerite τ 3 ) is explained by observed phase transformation. The obtained results are complemented by microscopy (LM, SEM, TEM). Graphical abstract