A novel crystallographic location of rattling atoms in filled Eu x Co4Sb12 skutterudites prepared under high-pressure conditions

Abstract Thermoelectric M x Co4Sb12 skutterudites are well-known to exhibit a reduced thermal conductivity thanks to the rattling effect of the M-filler at the large cages occurring in the framework, centered at the 2a sites of the I m 3 ‾ $Im\overline{3}$ space group. A novel Eu-filled skutterudite has been synthesized under high-pressure conditions at 3.5 GPa in a piston-cylinder hydrostatic press. The structural refinement from high-angular resolution synchrotron X-ray diffraction (SXRD) patterns unveils an unusual position for Eu filler atoms. By difference Fourier synthesis they are found at 12d sites, conforming statistically occupied octahedra within the mentioned cages around 2a positions. The Debye temperature was estimated by averaging the isotropic displacements by the atomic masses, leading to θ D ${\theta }_{D}$ of 273(2) K. Oftedal plots concerning the y and z Sb fractional positions, the unit-cell parameter a and M filling fraction include the novel Eu specimen in the trend observed for other filled materials prepared under high-pressure, including rare-earths, alkali or alkali-earth elements, all accepted as rattlers in filled skutterudites. A total thermal conductivity (κ) of 0.82 W m−1 K−1 is measured at 773 K for Eu0.02(1)Co4Sb12, below that of other filled skutterudites, which is promoted by the enhanced phonon scattering of Eu located at 12d sites. FE-SEM images showed large, homogeneous grains, well compacted after the high-pressure synthesis.