Enhanced thermoelectric performance of Bi₂O₂Se by MXene addition via liquid assisted shear exfoliation-restacking process

In this study, Bi₂O₂Se-x%MXene (Ti₃C₂T_x) composite samples were prepared using the liquid assisted shear exfoliation-restacking (LASE-R) method, and their thermoelectric properties were thoroughly examined. The findings indicate that the introduction of MXene effectively boosts the carrier concentration and mobility, thereby enhancing the electrical conductivity of the composite. Notably, the absolute Seebeck coefficient exhibited a distinct trend of increasing initially and then declining with an increase in the MXene composite content, leading to an improved Power Factor (PF). Furthermore, the inclusion of MXene suppressed the thermal conductivity of the composites, attributed to enhanced phonon scattering. Consequently, the Bi₂O₂Se-2 %MXene composite sample achieved a ZT_max value of 0.58 at 773 K, representing a significant enhancement of 1.66 times compared to the pristine sample.