Advanced Technologies Reliant on the Properties of Lead
781
to behave much like tin, but calculations indicate that 10 V of a 12 V are due to relativistic effects [2]. The relativistic properties of Pb have been used in the development
of organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite materials to produce solar cells. Generally,
these materials have a chemical formula of AMX 3 , where A=Cs, CH 3 NH 3 ; M=Pb,
Sn; X=Halide, for example. One great attribute of this chemistry is the band gap
1.15–3.06 eV, and one great advantage of the methylammonium Pb iodide is its band
gap 1.55–1.62 eV which is ideal for single junction photovoltaic solar cells [3, 4].
For quite a while, Pb chalcogenides, e.g. PbTe, PbSe, PbS, have been known
to have interesting properties for thermoelectric device for heating or cooling [5].
Thermoelectrics are rated by their figure of merit, ZT, which helped determine the
thermodynamic efficiency of the material. The value of ZT is a ratioing of the Seebeck
coefficient which is the thermopower, r the electrical resistivity, k the thermoconductivity, and the temperature of the device T. Since these devices are band gap
materials with the thermal gradient across them, which generates the electron/hole
carrier distribution across the material. Carrier concentration may also be tuned by
doping or alloying the materials to form molecular composites to tune them to the
temperature range of operation. Of interest to Pb producers is that tellurium (Te),
selenium (Se), and sulfur (S) are all very common elements in the smelters. Particularly in the case of Te and Se finding, an outlet for these elements may be interesting
as modern specifications for Pb active materials in batteries remove these to very low
levels.
Conclusion
The unique chemistry of Pb opens many new opportunities for technical innovation
in the realm. As Pb has an already established recycling industry in the support of
the drive for a circular materials economy, Pb will continue to be a vital part of the
energy portfolio.
References
1. Woods SM, Powell EJ, Heller A, Mullins CB (2015) Lithiation and de-lithiation of lead sulfide
(PbS). J Electrochem Soc 162(7)
2. Ahuja R, Blomqvist A, Larsson P, Pyykkö P, Zaleski-Ejgierd P (2011) Relativity and the lead-acid
battery. Phys Rev Lett 106(1):018301
3. Green MA, Ho-Baillie A, Snaith HJ (2014) The emergence of perovskite solar cells. Nat
Photonics 8(7):506
4. Saila M, Graetzel M, Correa-Baena J, Hagefeldt A (2017) Perovskite solar cells from the atomic
to the film level. Angew Chem https://doi.org/10.1002/ange.201703226
5. He J, Tritt TM (2017) Advances in thermoelectric materials research: looking back and moving
forward. Science 357(6358)
781
to behave much like tin, but calculations indicate that 10 V of a 12 V are due to relativistic effects [2]. The relativistic properties of Pb have been used in the development
of organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite materials to produce solar cells. Generally,
these materials have a chemical formula of AMX 3 , where A=Cs, CH 3 NH 3 ; M=Pb,
Sn; X=Halide, for example. One great attribute of this chemistry is the band gap
1.15–3.06 eV, and one great advantage of the methylammonium Pb iodide is its band
gap 1.55–1.62 eV which is ideal for single junction photovoltaic solar cells [3, 4].
For quite a while, Pb chalcogenides, e.g. PbTe, PbSe, PbS, have been known
to have interesting properties for thermoelectric device for heating or cooling [5].
Thermoelectrics are rated by their figure of merit, ZT, which helped determine the
thermodynamic efficiency of the material. The value of ZT is a ratioing of the Seebeck
coefficient which is the thermopower, r the electrical resistivity, k the thermoconductivity, and the temperature of the device T. Since these devices are band gap
materials with the thermal gradient across them, which generates the electron/hole
carrier distribution across the material. Carrier concentration may also be tuned by
doping or alloying the materials to form molecular composites to tune them to the
temperature range of operation. Of interest to Pb producers is that tellurium (Te),
selenium (Se), and sulfur (S) are all very common elements in the smelters. Particularly in the case of Te and Se finding, an outlet for these elements may be interesting
as modern specifications for Pb active materials in batteries remove these to very low
levels.
Conclusion
The unique chemistry of Pb opens many new opportunities for technical innovation
in the realm. As Pb has an already established recycling industry in the support of
the drive for a circular materials economy, Pb will continue to be a vital part of the
energy portfolio.
References
1. Woods SM, Powell EJ, Heller A, Mullins CB (2015) Lithiation and de-lithiation of lead sulfide
(PbS). J Electrochem Soc 162(7)
2. Ahuja R, Blomqvist A, Larsson P, Pyykkö P, Zaleski-Ejgierd P (2011) Relativity and the lead-acid
battery. Phys Rev Lett 106(1):018301
3. Green MA, Ho-Baillie A, Snaith HJ (2014) The emergence of perovskite solar cells. Nat
Photonics 8(7):506
4. Saila M, Graetzel M, Correa-Baena J, Hagefeldt A (2017) Perovskite solar cells from the atomic
to the film level. Angew Chem https://doi.org/10.1002/ange.201703226
5. He J, Tritt TM (2017) Advances in thermoelectric materials research: looking back and moving
forward. Science 357(6358)