Engineering Ordered-Disordered Domains for High-Performance Energy Storage in BCZT-Based Relaxor Ferroelectrics

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Energy Storage
• Dielectric Materials

Background:

• Dielectric capacitors are crucial for energy storage due to rapid charge-discharge rates.
• Achieving high energy storage density and efficiency simultaneously remains a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance energy storage performance in dielectric capacitors by introducing NaNbO3 into a specific ceramic lattice.
• To investigate the structural and property modifications induced by this compositional change.

Main Methods:

• Incorporation of NaNbO3 into the 0.85Ba0.85Ca0.15Zr0.1Ti0.9O3-0.15Bi(Zn2/3Ta1/3)O3 (BCZT-0.15BZT) lattice.
• Analysis of the resulting ordered-disordered domain structures.
• Characterization of dielectric properties, breakdown strength, and energy storage performance.

Main Results:

• The introduction of NaNbO3 created unique ordered-disordered domains (O-DO-Ds).
• Disordered domains enhanced breakdown strength and energy storage efficiency via energy dissipation and triple-phase coexistence.
• Optimized composition (x=0.15) yielded high recoverable energy density (9.12 J cm⁻³) and efficiency (95.3%).

Conclusions:

• The ordered-disordered domain structure is key to improving dielectric capacitor performance.
• Defect dipoles and asymmetric O-T-C phases contribute to high polarization and low hysteresis.
• This approach offers a novel strategy for developing next-generation high-performance energy storage capacitors.