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Whether solid, liquid, or gas, a substance's state depends on the order and arrangement of its particles (atoms, molecules, or ions). Particles in the solid pack closely together, generally in a pattern. The particles vibrate about their fixed positions but do not move or squeeze past their neighbors. In liquids, although the particles are closely spaced, they are randomly arranged. The position of the particles are not fixed—that is, they are free to move past their neighbors to...

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Updated: Sep 12, 2025

Fabrication and Characterization of Thickness Mode Piezoelectric Devices for Atomization and Acoustofluidics

Fabrication and Characterization of Thickness Mode Piezoelectric Devices for Atomization and Acoustofluidics

Published on: August 5, 2020

From solid to liquid piezoelectric materials.

Minakshi Gill¹, Marcell Tibor Máthé², Péter Salamon²

¹Department of Physics, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, USA. ajakli@kent.edu.

Materials Horizons

|August 6, 2025

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Piezoelectricity, the coupling of mechanical stress and electric polarization, has evolved from crystals to novel liquid piezoelectric materials. This review explores direct and converse piezoelectric effects in ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals, highlighting their fluid nature and future potential.

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Area of Science:

Materials Science
Condensed Matter Physics
Fluid Dynamics

Background:

Piezoelectricity, the generation of electric polarization by mechanical stress, was discovered in ferroelectric crystals.
The phenomenon is defined by the linear coupling between mechanical stress and electric polarization, encompassing direct and converse effects.
Analogous effects have been observed in various materials lacking inversion symmetry, including polymers and biomaterials.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the historical evolution of piezoelectricity.
To explore the emergence of liquid piezoelectricity in ferroelectric nematic liquid crystal (NF) materials.
To analyze direct and converse piezoelectric measurements in NF materials and discuss future applications.

Main Methods:

Historical review of piezoelectricity research.
Analysis of electromechanical effects in chiral liquid crystals and NF materials.
Summary and analysis of direct and converse piezoelectric measurements in NF materials.

Main Results:

Piezoelectricity has evolved from solid-state phenomena to include liquid piezoelectricity in NF materials.
NF materials exhibit direct and converse piezoelectric effects despite being three-dimensional fluids.
Steady stress in NF materials is sustained by surface tension, unlike in some crystalline materials.

Conclusions:

Liquid piezoelectricity in NF materials represents a significant evolution of the piezoelectric concept.
Further research on NF materials is needed to overcome challenges and unlock potential applications.
The study of liquid piezoelectricity opens new avenues in materials science and electromechanical devices.