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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 March 2011
The thermoelectric properties of misfit cobaltites have been investigated. Their crystallographic structure consists in the stacking of layers of tilted CoO6 edge-shared octahedra, separated by rock-salt type layers. The Tl based family was first investigated : it is shown that by increasing the Tl content, the resistivity ρ can be reduced while keeping a large thermopower S. Another way to improve the figure of merit Z=S2/(ρκ) is to partially substitute Bi for Tl to increase S and keep a small ρ. A new family of Pb-based misfits has also been investigated. Two different techniques have been attempted to decrease ρ and/or increase S in this family : the partial substitution of Cu for Co, and the partial substitution of Ca for Sr.