Recent developments in high-performance thermoelectric sulphides: an overview of the promising synthetic colusites

Derivatives of the natural mineral colusite with general formula Cu26A2E6S32 (A = V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W; E = Ge, Sn, As, Sb) are an emerging class of excellent thermoelectric materials. Within just a few years, they have been promoted as serious candidates for cost-efficient, environmentally-friendly thermoelectric power generation, reaching performances comparable to tetrahedrites and other advanced thermoelectric sulphides. From ultralow thermal conductivity to the record-high power factor, this review gives an extensive description of the current state of the art regarding the crystal chemistry and electrical and thermal transport properties of colusites.