Abstract:
The correlation among composition, structure, chemical bond and thermoelectric property of skutterudites of IrSb
3, Ir
4NdGe
3Sb
9 and Ir
4SmGe
3Sb
9 is studied using SCF-DV-X
α method, one of calculation methods in quantum chemistry. Ir
4NdGe
3Sb
9 and Ir
4SmGe
3Sb
9 are calculated with several models for investigating the "rattling" patterns. The results show that the model with rare earth near to Ge is more stable than that with rare earth near to Sb, and the former is with lower thermal conductivity. The covalent bonds of Ir
4SmNdGe
3Sb
9 are weaker than those of Ir
4SmGe
3Sb
9, and those of Ir
4NdGe
3Sb
9 and Ir
4SmGe
3Sb
9 are both weaker than those of IrSb
3, which is consistent with the experimental result of thermal conductivity.