Thermoelectric properties from 353K to 1073K for metal-doped β-rhombohedral boron

Thermoelectric properties of metal (Co, V, Zr, Sr, W)-doped β-rhombohedral boron (β-boron) were examined in the temperature range from 353K to 1073K. Doping with V, which preferentially occupies the A₁ sites, results in great increasing of electrical conductivity σ and a negative Seebeck coefficient S, while doping Co, Zr, Sr, W also increases the a though the S remains positive. By crushing and hot pressing with arc-melted samples, the thermal conductivity κ was decreased almost half of that of arc-melted samples. As a result, V doped and hot pressed β-boron had a ZT value about 0.01 in n-type around 1000 K, which approach that of boron carbide having maximum ZT value among the boron-rich solids.