Page 209 - Read Online

Page 8 of 15 Xie et al. Energy Mater. 2025, 5, 500127 https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/energymater.2025.48

Figure 4. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) elemental mapping of Bi Sb Te . (A) Top-view SEM image of the melt-spun
3-x
0.5
1.5
ribbon, with corresponding elemental distribution maps of (B) tellurium, (C) antimony and (D) bismuth, confirming a homogeneous
spatial distribution of the constituent elements.
Figure 6A and B, labeled "Ribbon Composition" and located at the bottom of the image, presents
quantitative data on the elemental composition at the five designated points within the SEM cross-sectional
image. The analysis reveals that bismuth (Bi, shown in red), tellurium (Te, green), and antimony (Sb, blue)
are the predominant elements, maintaining consistent proportions across all five measured locations.
Figure 7A-D further supports these findings, reinforcing the conclusion that the sample comprises a ternary
alloy system, most likely based on Bi-Sb-Te. The uniform elemental distribution and compositional
consistency observed across the sample suggest that the material is well-integrated and homogenous in
nature. Such characteristics are critical for thermoelectric materials, particularly Bi Te -based alloys, which
3
2
are widely recognized for their high efficiency in converting thermal gradients into electrical energy. The
combination of Bi, Sb and Te in a stable and uniformly distributed microstructure indicates that the
material is engineered for optimal thermoelectric performance. These alloys are commonly employed in
power generation and solid-state cooling technologies due to their favorable electrical conductivity and low
thermal conductivity [31,32] .

Overall, the data presented in these figures provide compelling evidence that the sample possesses a layered
structure with excellent compositional homogeneity. These features strongly support its potential
application in high-performance thermoelectric devices. Further characterization, including thermal
conductivity, Seebeck coefficient and electrical resistivity measurements is recommended to fully evaluate
the material’s suitability for practical energy conversion applications .
[33]