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Metallic Transport in Pseudocubic Quaternary Diamondoid Thermoelectric Semiconductor

Researchers have demonstrated that CdSe‑doped Cu₂ZnSnSe₄ exhibits metallic transport, achieving a room‑temperature electrical conductivity of 1,200 S cm⁻¹. Substituting 10 % of Sn⁴⁺ with Cd²⁺ raises carrier concentration to ~10²¹ cm⁻³ while preserving the pseudocubic lattice. Adding a small fraction of Ag further lowers thermal conductivity, delivering a peak thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) of 0.8 at 800 K. This combination of high conductivity and reduced heat flow marks a significant advance for diamondoid thermoelectrics.