The mechanism for the enhanced piezoelectricity in multi-elements doped (K,Na)NbO3 ceramics

Xiaoyi Gao; Zhenxiang Cheng; Zibin Chen; Yao Liu; Xiangyu Meng; Xu Zhang; Jianli Wang; Qinghu Guo; Bei Li; Huajun Sun; Qinfen Gu; Hua Hao; Qiang Shen; Jinsong Wu; Xiaozhou Liao; Simon P. Ringer; Hanxing Liu; Lianmeng Zhang; Wen Chen; Fei Li; Shujun Zhang

doi:10.1038/s41467-021-21202-7

The mechanism for the enhanced piezoelectricity in multi-elements doped (K,Na)NbO₃ ceramics

Xiaoyi Gao
, Zhenxiang Cheng
, Zibin Chen
, Yao Liu
, Xiangyu Meng
, Xu Zhang
, Jianli Wang
, Qinghu Guo
, Bei Li
, Huajun Sun
, Qinfen Gu
, Hua Hao
, Qiang Shen^*
, Jinsong Wu^*
, Xiaozhou Liao
, Simon P. Ringer
, Hanxing Liu
, Lianmeng Zhang
, Wen Chen
, Fei Li^*

Shujun Zhang^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Journal Publications and Reviews › RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal › peer-review

247 Citations (Scopus)

31 Downloads (CityUHK Scholars)

Abstract

(K,Na)NbO₃ based ceramics are considered to be one of the most promising lead-free ferroelectrics replacing Pb(Zr,Ti)O₃. Despite extensive studies over the last two decades, the mechanism for the enhanced piezoelectricity in multi-elements doped (K,Na)NbO₃ ceramics has not been fully understood. Here, we combine temperature-dependent synchrotron x-ray diffraction and property measurements, atomic-scale scanning transmission electron microscopy, and first-principle and phase-field calculations to establish the dopant–structure–property relationship for multi-elements doped (K,Na)NbO₃ ceramics. Our results indicate that the dopants induced tetragonal phase and the accompanying high-density nanoscale heterostructures with low-angle polar vectors are responsible for the high dielectric and piezoelectric properties. This work explains the mechanism of the high piezoelectricity recently achieved in (K,Na)NbO₃ ceramics and provides guidance for the design of high-performance ferroelectric ceramics, which is expected to benefit numerous functional materials. © The Author(s) 2021.

Original language	English
Article number	881
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	12
Online published	9 Feb 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21202-7
Publication status	Published - 2021
Externally published	Yes

Funding

Q.S. and L.M.Z. acknowledge the support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51872217, 51932006, and 51521001) and the 111 Project (B13035). S.Z. acknowledge the support of ARC (FT140100698). F.L. acknowledge the support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51922083) and the 111 Project (B14040). J.S.W. acknowledge the support of the Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities (WUT: 2019III012GX, 2019III190GX). H.L. and H.H. acknowledge the support of the Major Program of the Natural Science Foundation of China (51790490). X.Z.L. acknowledge the support of ARC (DP190101155). The authors are grateful for the scientific and technical assistance of the Microscopy Australia node at the University of Sydney (Sydney Microscopy and Microanalysis).

Publisher's Copyright Statement

This full text is made available under CC-BY 4.0. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Gao, X., Cheng, Z., Chen, Z., Liu, Y., Meng, X., Zhang, X., Wang, J., Guo, Q., Li, B., Sun, H., Gu, Q., Hao, H., Shen, Q., Wu, J., Liao, X., Ringer, S. P., Liu, H., Zhang, L., Chen, W., ... Zhang, S. (2021). The mechanism for the enhanced piezoelectricity in multi-elements doped (K,Na)NbO₃ ceramics. Nature Communications, 12, Article 881. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21202-7

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title = "The mechanism for the enhanced piezoelectricity in multi-elements doped (K,Na)NbO3 ceramics",

abstract = "(K,Na)NbO3 based ceramics are considered to be one of the most promising lead-free ferroelectrics replacing Pb(Zr,Ti)O3. Despite extensive studies over the last two decades, the mechanism for the enhanced piezoelectricity in multi-elements doped (K,Na)NbO3 ceramics has not been fully understood. Here, we combine temperature-dependent synchrotron x-ray diffraction and property measurements, atomic-scale scanning transmission electron microscopy, and first-principle and phase-field calculations to establish the dopant–structure–property relationship for multi-elements doped (K,Na)NbO3 ceramics. Our results indicate that the dopants induced tetragonal phase and the accompanying high-density nanoscale heterostructures with low-angle polar vectors are responsible for the high dielectric and piezoelectric properties. This work explains the mechanism of the high piezoelectricity recently achieved in (K,Na)NbO3 ceramics and provides guidance for the design of high-performance ferroelectric ceramics, which is expected to benefit numerous functional materials. {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2021.",

author = "Xiaoyi Gao and Zhenxiang Cheng and Zibin Chen and Yao Liu and Xiangyu Meng and Xu Zhang and Jianli Wang and Qinghu Guo and Bei Li and Huajun Sun and Qinfen Gu and Hua Hao and Qiang Shen and Jinsong Wu and Xiaozhou Liao and Ringer, \{Simon P.\} and Hanxing Liu and Lianmeng Zhang and Wen Chen and Fei Li and Shujun Zhang",

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T1 - The mechanism for the enhanced piezoelectricity in multi-elements doped (K,Na)NbO3 ceramics

AU - Gao, Xiaoyi

AU - Cheng, Zhenxiang

AU - Chen, Zibin

AU - Liu, Yao

AU - Meng, Xiangyu

AU - Zhang, Xu

AU - Wang, Jianli

AU - Guo, Qinghu

AU - Li, Bei

AU - Sun, Huajun

AU - Gu, Qinfen

AU - Hao, Hua

AU - Shen, Qiang

AU - Wu, Jinsong

AU - Liao, Xiaozhou

AU - Ringer, Simon P.

AU - Liu, Hanxing

AU - Zhang, Lianmeng

AU - Chen, Wen

AU - Li, Fei

AU - Zhang, Shujun

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - (K,Na)NbO3 based ceramics are considered to be one of the most promising lead-free ferroelectrics replacing Pb(Zr,Ti)O3. Despite extensive studies over the last two decades, the mechanism for the enhanced piezoelectricity in multi-elements doped (K,Na)NbO3 ceramics has not been fully understood. Here, we combine temperature-dependent synchrotron x-ray diffraction and property measurements, atomic-scale scanning transmission electron microscopy, and first-principle and phase-field calculations to establish the dopant–structure–property relationship for multi-elements doped (K,Na)NbO3 ceramics. Our results indicate that the dopants induced tetragonal phase and the accompanying high-density nanoscale heterostructures with low-angle polar vectors are responsible for the high dielectric and piezoelectric properties. This work explains the mechanism of the high piezoelectricity recently achieved in (K,Na)NbO3 ceramics and provides guidance for the design of high-performance ferroelectric ceramics, which is expected to benefit numerous functional materials. © The Author(s) 2021.

AB - (K,Na)NbO3 based ceramics are considered to be one of the most promising lead-free ferroelectrics replacing Pb(Zr,Ti)O3. Despite extensive studies over the last two decades, the mechanism for the enhanced piezoelectricity in multi-elements doped (K,Na)NbO3 ceramics has not been fully understood. Here, we combine temperature-dependent synchrotron x-ray diffraction and property measurements, atomic-scale scanning transmission electron microscopy, and first-principle and phase-field calculations to establish the dopant–structure–property relationship for multi-elements doped (K,Na)NbO3 ceramics. Our results indicate that the dopants induced tetragonal phase and the accompanying high-density nanoscale heterostructures with low-angle polar vectors are responsible for the high dielectric and piezoelectric properties. This work explains the mechanism of the high piezoelectricity recently achieved in (K,Na)NbO3 ceramics and provides guidance for the design of high-performance ferroelectric ceramics, which is expected to benefit numerous functional materials. © The Author(s) 2021.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85100709012

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U2 - 10.1038/s41467-021-21202-7

DO - 10.1038/s41467-021-21202-7

M3 - RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal

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SN - 2041-1723

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JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

M1 - 881

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