The Electronic and Thermoelectric Transport Properties of Zintl Pnictides

Abstract

Abstract Research on Zintl pnictides has continued to garner significant interest over the course of the past several decades. These compounds fall at the border of the typical valence‐precise and the typical intermetallic compounds, and are characterized by intrinsic narrow bandgaps, thus making them especially suited for developing excellent thermoelectrics, photovoltaic cells, and long‐wavelength detector materials. In recent times, attention has also been drawn to these phases for identifying promising topological quantum materials, which are of great interest in the scientific community. In this article, we present some aspects of our ongoing research endeavors on the synthesis of new Zintl pnictides and also discuss their structure–bonding–property relationships based on a suite of combined electronic and transport property measurements and theoretical models. Of special note in several of the presented phases is their intricate atomic bonding and a large unit cell volume, which can drive the realization of ultralow lattice thermal conductivity in such materials. We further highlight the promising thermoelectric properties of selected materials and provide some perspectives on future investigations into optimizing their properties.