Lead-free 0.5Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3–0.5(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 nanowires for energy harvesting. Issue 9 (12th February 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhou, Zhi; Bowland, Christopher C.; Malakooti, Mohammad H.; Tang, Haixiong; Sodano, Henry A.
• Is Part Of: Nanoscale. Volume 8:Issue 9(2016)
• Page Start: 5098
• Page End: 5105
• Publication Date: 2016-02-12
• Subjects: Nanoscience -- Periodicals; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; 620.505
• DOI: 10.1039/c5nr09029f
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2040-3364

Abstract

Abstract : 0.5Ba(Zr0.2 Ti0.8 )O3 –0.5(Ba0.7 Ca0.3 )TiO3 (BZT–BCT) nanowires with high piezoelectric coupling coefficient (90 ± 5 pm V −1 ) are utilized to fabricate a flexible, energy harvesting nanocomposite producing an open circuit voltage of 6.25 V and a power density of 2.25 μW cm −3 . Abstract : Lead-free piezoelectric nanowires (NWs) show strong potential in sensing and energy harvesting applications due to their flexibility and ability to convert mechanical energy to electric energy. Currently, most lead-free piezoelectric NWs are produced through low yield synthesis methods and result in low electromechanical coupling, which limit their efficiency as energy harvesters. In order to alleviate these issues, a scalable method is developed to synthesize perovskite type 0.5Ba(Zr0.2 Ti0.8 )O3 –0.5(Ba0.7 Ca0.3 )TiO3 (BZT–BCT) NWs with high piezoelectric coupling coefficient. The piezoelectric coupling coefficient of the BZT–BCT NWs is measured by a refined piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) testing method and shows the highest reported coupling coefficient for lead-free piezoelectric nanowires of 90 ± 5 pm V −1 . Flexible nanocomposites utilizing dispersed BZT–BCT NWs are fabricated to demonstrate an energy harvesting application with an open circuit voltage of up to 6.25 V and a power density of up to 2.25 μW cm −3 . The high electromechanical coupling coefficient and high power density demonstrated with these lead-free NWs produced via a scalable synthesis method shows the potential for high performance NW-based devices.