TITLE:
Investigation Insights into Thermoelectric Materials of Ni-Based Heusler Alloys: First-Principles Calculations
AUTHORS:
Zhengxu Li, Yaping Li, Sujun Guan, Lijun Wang, Taishu Chishima, Hiroyuki Yoshida, Ryosuke Yamagata, Takaomi Itoi, Yun Lu
KEYWORDS:
Ni Alloy System, Heusler Alloy, First-Principles Calculation, DOS, Band Construction, Thermoelectric Property
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering,
Vol.14 No.6,
June
23,
2026
ABSTRACT: Ni-based Heusler alloys, as intermetallic compounds and high-temperature alloys, possess superior properties, including high-temperature oxidation resistance, corrosion resistance, and excellent advantages for application as thermoelectric materials. Herein, a screening study of Ni-based Heusler alloys was carried out using first-principles calculations combined with the BoltzTraP software, focusing on investigating their electronic structure and density of states (DOS) with the aim of achieving a high thermoelectromotive force. Studies on the Heusler alloys have confirmed that their valence electron density is equal to 6, accompanied by a sharp DOS mutation near the Fermi level. Based on Mott theory, this gives rise to a large Seebeck coefficient, enabling a breakthrough in the longstanding limitation of the low Seebeck coefficient of conventional Heusler alloys used as thermoelectric materials.