A molecular perovskite solid solution with piezoelectricity stronger than lead zirconate titanate

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 363; no. 6432; pp. 1206 - 1210
• Main Authors: Liao, Wei-Qiang, Zhao, Dewei, Tang, Yuan-Yuan, Zhang, Yi, Li, Peng-Fei, Shi, Ping-Ping, Chen, Xiao-Gang, You, Yu-Meng, Xiong, Ren-Gen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Association for the Advancement of Science 15.03.2019; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Ammonium; Ceramics; Ceramics industry; Charge materials; Charged particles; Chemical synthesis; Deformation; Flexible components; Lead zirconate titanates; Mechanical properties; Optimization; Perovskites; Piezoelectric ceramics; Piezoelectricity; Sensors; Solid solutions
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.aav3057

Piezoelectric materials produce electricity when strained, making them ideal for different types of sensing applications. The most effective piezoelectric materials are ceramic solid solutions in which the piezoelectric effect is optimized at what are termed morphotropic phase boundaries (MPBs). Ceramics are not ideal for a variety of applications owing to some of their mechanical properties. We synthesized piezoelectric materials from a molecular perovskite (TMFM)ₓ(TMCM)1–x CdCl₃ solid solution (TMFM, trimethylfluoromethyl ammonium; TMCM, trimethylchloromethyl ammonium, 0 ≤ x ≤ 1), in which the MPB exists between monoclinic and hexagonal phases. We found a composition for which the piezoelectric coefficient d 33 is ∼1540 picocoulombs per newton, comparable to high-performance piezoelectric ceramics. The material has potential applications for wearable piezoelectric devices.