Thermoelectric performance of PbSe quantum dot films.

The thermoelectric (TE) performance of films of colloidal lead selenide (PbSe) quantum dots (QDs) with metal-chalcogenide complex ligands is seen to change with QD size and temperature. Films of smaller QDs have higher Seebeck coefficient magnitudes, indicating stronger quantum confinement, and lower electrical and thermal conductivities. The thermoelectric figure of merit ZT is ∼0.5 at room temperature and increases with temperature to 1.0-1.37 at ∼400 K, where it is larger for smaller QD films. This is better than previous results for solution-prepared QD TE materials at these elevated temperatures.