@article{hooshmand zaferani_ghomashchi_vashaee_2021, title={Thermoelectric, Magnetic, and Mechanical Characteristics of Antiferromagnetic Manganese Telluride Reinforced with Graphene Nanoplates}, volume={23}, ISSN={["1527-2648"]}, DOI={10.1002/adem.202000816}, abstractNote={Mechanical and thermal stability are the two challenging aspects of thermoelectric compounds and modules. Microcrack formation during material synthesis and mechanical failure under thermo‐mechanical loading is commonly observed in thermoelectric materials made from brittle semiconductors. Herein, the results of graphene‐nanoplates (GNPs) reinforcement on the mechanical and thermoelectric properties of MnTe compound are reported. The binary antiferromagnetic MnTe shown promising thermoelectric characteristics due to the paramagnon–hole drag above the Néel temperature. In this study, different bulk MnTe samples are synthesized with the addition of GNPs in a small quantity (0.25–1 wt%) by powder metallurgy and spark plasma sintering. The thermoelectric factors, magnetic behavior, microstructure, and mechanical properties of the samples are evaluated and analyzed. Nearly 33% improvement is observed in the fracture toughness of MnTe reinforced with 0.25 wt% GNPs compared to the pristine structure. The Néel temperature remains approximately unaffected with the GNP inclusion; however, the low‐temperature ferromagnetic phase impurity is significantly suppressed. The thermal conductivity and power factor decrease almost equally by ≈34% at 600 K; hence, the thermoelectric figure‐of‐merit is not affected by GNP reinforcement in the optimized sample.}, number={2}, journal={ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS}, author={Hooshmand Zaferani, Sadeq and Ghomashchi, Reza and Vashaee, Daryoosh}, year={2021}, month={Feb} }
 @misc{zaferani_ghomashchi_vashaee_2019, title={Strategies for engineering phonon transport in Heusler thermoelectric compounds}, volume={112}, ISSN={["1879-0690"]}, DOI={10.1016/j.rser.2019.05.051}, abstractNote={Thermoelectric generators, which can convert waste heat directly into electricity, are promising candidates for capturing low-grade heat and enhancing the efficiency of the heat engines. This would lead to decreasing the fossil fuel usage and greenhouse gas emission. Many Heusler compounds have been studied for thermoelectric application due to their desired characteristics such as sizeable thermoelectric power factor, non-toxicity, and high stability over a wide temperature range. The primary restriction for Heusler thermoelectric materials has been their high lattice thermal conductivity, which reduces their thermoelectric figure of merit. Several strategies have been carried out to ameliorate this restriction by engineering the phonon transport properties. This article discusses several approaches such as bulk nanostructuring, the creation of point defects and vacancies, impurity doping, and multiphase engineering of the material structure for reducing the thermal conductivity of the Heusler compounds. The effectiveness of each of these methods depends on temperature; hence, the working temperature must be taken into account when designing the material structure and the composition to achieve the optimum performance for practical applications.}, journal={RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS}, author={Zaferani, Sadeq Hooshmand and Ghomashchi, Reza and Vashaee, Daryoosh}, year={2019}, month={Sep}, pages={158–169} }