Bi0·5Na0·5TiO3–Sr0.85Bi0·1TiO3 ceramics with high energy storage properties and extremely fast discharge speed via regulating relaxation temperature

Bi_0·5Na_0·5TiO₃-based relaxor ferroelectric ceramics have recently gained increasing attention due to their outstanding energy storage properties. However, the trade-off between the recoverable energy storage density/efficiency and discharge rate resulted from the hysteresis of domain switching process, severely limits their applications. Herein, a strategy realizing synergistic excellent energy storage properties and fast discharge rate is proposed through regulating relaxation temperature. The relaxation temperature was decreased to below room temperature by introducing Sr_0·85Bi_0·1TiO₃ into Bi_0·5Na_0·5TiO₃ [(1-x)Bi_0·5Na_0·5TiO₃-xSr_0.85Bi_0·1TiO₃, x = 0.5–0.7)], enabling the small size and weak correlation polar nanoregions (PNRs) with relatively high polarization. The trade-off was overcome by reducing the hysteresis of electrical switching of weak correlation PNRs. Thus, large recoverable energy storage density of 2.32 J/cm³ and high efficiency of 80.1% (250 kV/cm) were achieved simultaneously for x = 0.7 ceramics. Meanwhile, extremely rapid discharge rate (<30 ns) and remarkable power density of 63.7 MW/cm³, which were superior to the previously reported lead-free ceramics were realized. Besides, the 0.3BNT-0.7SBT ceramics also possess good thermal stability over 25 °C–115 °C at 100 kV/cm and good frequency stability (5–100 Hz). These properties make the 0.3BNT-0.7SBT ceramic an ideal candidate for energy storage applications.     

High energy-storage performance of lead-free Ba0.4Sr0.6TiO3–Sr0.7Bi0.2TiO3 relaxor-ferroelectric ceramics with ultrafine grain size

Relaxor-ferroelectric (RFE) ceramics possess slender ferroelectric hysteresis loop and low remnant polarization (P_r). They have great potential to provide excellent energy-storage performance as dielectric energy-storage materials. Herein, a lead-free 0.8Ba_0.4Sr_0.6TiO₃–0.2Sr_0.7Bi_0.2TiO₃ (0.8BST–0.2SBT) RFE ceramic with high energy-storage performance has been realized successfully. The addition of Bi³⁺ and increase in Sr²⁺content at the A site of the BST can effectively inhibit the growth of grains for high breakdown strength (E_b). As a result, an ultrafine average grain size of 0.7 μm was obtained in 0.8BST–0.2SBT RFE ceramic, affording a high E_b of 300 kV/cm. Further investigation revealed that the mutual conversion of short-range polar nanoregions and long-range-ordered ferroelectric domains upon application and withdrawal of a 300 kV/cm applied electric field resulted in a high maximum polarization (P_max) of 31 μC/cm² and a low P_r of 2.5 μC/cm². Hence, the 0.8BST–0.2SBT RFE ceramic simultaneously exhibited a high recoverable energy-storage density of 3.3 J/cm³ and a high energy-storage efficiency of 85% at 300 kV/cm. Additionally, a good energy-storage performance was reported over a temperature range of 50°C-120 °C and frequency from 10 to 1000 Hz, making the 0.8BST-0.2SBT RFE ceramic a potential lead-free dielectric energy-storage material.     

Realizing high energy density and superior charge-discharge characteristics in NN-10BT-based ceramics

The low recoverable energy storage density (W_rec) of bulk ceramics has long limited their miniaturization and lightweight development. Here, we designed the (1-x)(0.90NaNbO₃-0.10BaTiO₃)-xNa_0.2Bi_0.4La_0.2TiO₃ (NN-10BT-xNBLT) ceramics. With the introduction of NBLT, the dielectric breakdown strength (BDS) of NN-10BT-based ceramics increased from 174.8 kV/cm to 289.1 kV/cm. A promising finding is that the NN-10BT-15NBLT ceramic has an ultrahigh energy storage density W of 3.42 J/cm³ and a large energy storage efficiency η of 78.9%, as well as excellent frequency and thermal stability. The NN-10BT-15NBLT ceramic, on the other hand, has an outstanding current density C_D of 1021.21 A/cm² together with a high power density P_D of 102.12 MW/cm³ at 200 kV/cm. Most importantly, the variation of charge-discharge properties (C_D and P_D) is only ?7.8% after 10⁴ cycles, suggesting that the capacitor has potential practical application significance.     

Bi-modified SrTiO3-based ceramics for high-temperature energy storage applications

Dielectric capacitors with high energy storage performance are in great demand for emerging advanced energy storage applications. Relaxor ferroelectrics are one type dielectric materials possessing high energy storage density and energy efficiency simultaneously. In this study, 0.9(Sr_0.7Bi_0.2)TiO₃–0.1Bi(Mg_0.5Me_0.5)O₃ (Me = Ti, Zr, and Hf) dielectric relaxors are designed and the corresponding energy storage properties are investigated. The excellent recoverable energy density of 3.1 J/cm³ with a high energy efficiency of 93% is achieved at applied electric field of 360 kV/cm for 0.9(Sr_0.7Bi_0.2)TiO₃–0.1Bi(Mg_0.5Hf_0.5)O₃ (0.9SBT–0.1BMH) ceramic. High breakdown strength of 460 kV/cm in 0.9SBT–0.1BMH ceramic is obtained by Weibull distribution with satisfied reliability. In addition, 0.9SBT–0.1BMH shows outstanding thermal stability of energy storage performance up to 200°C, with the variation being less than 5%, together with satisfying cycling stability and high charge-discharge rate, making the 0.9SBT–0.1BMH ceramic a potential lead-free candidate for high power energy storage applications at elevated temperature.     

(1-x)Bi0.5Na0.47Li0.03TiO3-xNaNbO3 lead-free ceramics with superior energy storage performances and good temperature stability

Dielectric capacitors show great potential in superior energy storage devices. However, the energy density of these capacitors is still inadequate to meet the requirement of energy storage applications. In this study, the Bi_0.5Na_0.47Li_0.03TiO₃-xNaNbO₃ (BNLT-xNN) ceramics were prepared via conventional solid-phase reaction. Results showed that NN can efficaciously enhance the breakdown strength (E_b) and the relaxation behavior of the BNLT ceramic because of the broken ferroelectric long-range order. When x = 0.3, the maximum E_b reached 350 kV/cm, at which the 0.7BNLT-0.3NN ceramic exhibited the high recoverable energy storage density (W_rec) of 4.83 J/cm³ and great efficiency (η) of 78.9%. The ceramic demonstrated good temperature stability at 20 °C-160 °C and excellent fatigue resistance. Additionally, the 0.7BNLT-0.3NN ceramic presented high power density (P_D; ～77.58 MW/cm³), large current density (C_D; ～861.99 A/cm²), and quite short discharge time (t_0.9; ～0.090 μs). These results indicated that the 0.7BNLT-0.3NN material has excellent energy storage properties and various application prospects.     

Giant comprehensive energy storage performance in Pb-doped Bi0.25Na0.25Sr0.5TiO3 ceramics via multiscale regulation of grain size and relaxation behavior

Developed ceramic capacitors with excellent recoverable energy storage density (W_rec) and efficiency (η) are greatly desired for next-generation pulsed power devices but challenge as well. Herein, outstanding W_rec of 5.2 J/cm³ and η of 82% are achieved in the PbO-doped fine grain Bi_0.25Na_0.25Sr_0.5TiO₃ (BNST-P) based relaxor ferroelectric ceramics. The corresponding mechanism is that A-site Pb-doping increases maximum polarization and breakdown strength, and suppresses remnant polarization simultaneously. Meanwhile, the energy storage property possesses excellent temperature and frequency stability, and the variation of W_rec and η is less than 5% within the range of 25–100 °C and 2–100 Hz. Encouragingly, superior charge-discharge performance with fast discharge speed t_0.9 of 24 ns and high power density P_D of 296 MW/cm³ is obtained. These striking comprehensive results suggest BNST-P ceramics possess potential prospects for applications.     

Improved dielectric energy storage performance of Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3–Sr0.7Nd0.2TiO3 lead-free ceramics by adding an appropriate amount of AgNbO3

Based on the significant advantages of dielectric ceramics in high power energy storage, (1-x) (0.55Bi_0.5Na_0.5TiO₃-0.45Sr_0.7Nd_0.2TiO₃)-xAgNbO₃ (NBSNT-xAN) ceramics were prepared by traditional solid phase method. The introduction of AN in NBSNT ceramics not only increased the degree of relaxation, but also refined the grain size, enhanced the BDS, and finally improved the energy storage performance. It is found that the NBSNT-0.5AN ceramics obtained an effective energy storage density as high as 3.08 J/cm³ and an efficiency of 79.94%. In addition, good thermal stability and temperature stability were exhibited in the range of 30–120 °C and 10–350 Hz, and at the same time, it performed very well in the pulsed test at room temperature and variable temperatures. This provides a design idea for the miniaturization and integration of energy storage ceramic materials.     

Optimized energy storage performance in BF-BT-based lead-free ferroelectric ceramics with local compositional fluctuation

BiFeO₃-based lead-free ferroelectric is considered a potential candidate for energy storage applications owing to its high spontaneous polarization. To tackle the compromise between high polarization and energy storage density, NaNbO₃ (NN) was introduced into 0.7BiFeO₃-0.3Ba(Hf_0.05Ti_0.95)O₃ (BF-BHfT) ceramics, where Nb⁵⁺ ions enter the BF-BHfT lattices and enhance resistivity, while Na⁺ ions occupied on the A-sites and smash the long-range ferroelectric order into polar nanoregions. Consequently, the ceramics could maintain high maximum polarization and low remanent polarization. High recoverable energy density (W_rec) of 5.2 J/cm³ and efficiency (88%) were recorded in 0.53BF-0.3BHfT-0.17NN ceramics. Besides, it exhibited good thermostability up to 120 °C (W_rec variation < 5%), frequency stability from 10 to 200 Hz (W_rec variation < 7%) and excellent fatigue resistance after 10⁴ cycles (W_rec variation < 0.2%). Under different electric fields the efficiency still maintains nearly constant. In charge-discharge test a W_dis of 3.7 J/cm³ was recorded, which proved 0.5³BF-0.3BHfT-0.17NN ceramics a promising candidate for energy storage applications.     

Effective strategy to realise excellent energy storage performances in lead-free barium titanate-based relaxor ferroelectric

High-performance capacitors, which possess a high energy storage density, large power density and fast charge/discharge rate, are in high demand in pulsed power systems. Although several studies have been conducted to obtain excellent energy storage performances, the scientific and feasible guidance is lacking on how to quickly and efficiently find a material system with high recoverable energy storage density (W_rec), large energy storage efficiency (η), and excellent thermal stability. Herein, a strategy is proposed to concurrently regulate the temperature corresponding to the maximum dielectric constant (T_m) to around room temperature and enhance the relaxor characteristic. To our satisfaction, excellent energy storage performances with a high W_rec of 3.05 J/cm³, large η of 95%, and wide temperature stability (20–180 °C) were achieved in 0.85BaTiO₃-0.15Bi(Mg₀₅Sn_0.5)O₃ (0.15BMS) ceramics. In addition, these ceramics also exhibited a large discharge energy density (W_dis = 0.74 J/cm³) and fast discharge time (t_0.9 = 105 ns) over a broad temperature range (20–180 °C), which confirms their significant application potential in the high-temperature field. These results indicate that this work can provide an effective guideline approach to attain high-performance capacitors for application in pulsed power capacitors.     

Enhancement in energy storage performance of La-modified bismuth-ferrite-based relaxor ferroelectric ceramics by defect compensation and process optimization

In this investigation, La₂O₃ was doped into 0.85(0.65BF-0.35BT)-0.15Sr_0.7Bi_0.2TiO₃ (BF-BT-SBT) to form a solid solution with relaxation ferroelectric properties. The dielectric breakdown strength (BDS) of 1% mole of La doping was 220 kV/cm, the maximum recoverable energy storage (W_rec) was 2.35 J/cm³, and the energy storage efficiency (η) was 71%. The relationship between ceramic properties and microstructure was investigated in detail. Doping with La has the following main features: (1) The dissolution of La³⁺ ions in the A position of the original perovskite structure reduced the concentration of oxygen vacancies in the lattice and played a role of compensating the defects. (2) The dielectric loss of ceramics was reduced, the impedance was greatly increased, and the specimen exhibited a high-temperature stability: a maximum W_rec of 4.04 ± 1.7% J/cm³ in 30–130 °C. (3) The core–shell–like with single phase structure in La-doped ceramics had been successfully observed, which may become a strategy for preparing high-performance ceramics. Higher BDS and denser structures were obtained in 0.01 La ceramics by further optimizing the preparation of the above compositions by the viscous polymer process (VPP). The BDS of 0.01La ceramics prepared by VPP reached 480 kV/cm, the effective energy storage density reached 6.15 J/cm³, and the η was about 81%. This made La-doped 15SBT (chemical composition of BF-BT-SBT + La₂O₃) ceramics become a potential candidate material for energy storage devices.     

Novel NaNbO3–Sr0.7Bi0·2TiO3 lead-free dielectric ceramics with excellent energy storage properties

NaNbO₃ (NN) is considered to be one of the most prospective lead-free antiferroelectric energy storage materials due to the merits of low cost, nontoxicity, and low density. Nevertheless, the electric field-induced ferroelectric phase remains dominant after the removal of the electric field, resulting in large residual polarization, which prevents NN ceramics from obtaining superior energy storage performance. In this work, the relaxor ferroelectric Sr_0·7Bi_0·2TiO₃ (SBT) was chosen to partially replace the NN ceramics, and the introduction of the nanodomain of the relaxor ferroelectric hinders the generation of field-induced ferroelectric phases, allowing the material to combine the large polarization strength of the relaxor ferroelectric with the near-zero residual polarization of the antiferroelectric. Large recoverable energy storage density (4.5 J cm^?3) and ultra-high energy storage efficiency (90.3%) were gained in NN-20SBT under an electric field of 288 kV cm^?1. Furthermore, superior temperature (25–120 °C) and frequency (1–500 Hz) stabilities were acquired. These performances demonstrate that NN-20SBT ceramics are potential candidates as dielectric materials for high energy storage density pulsed power capacitors.     

Enhanced energy storage properties and superior thermal stability in SNN-based tungsten bronze ceramics through substitution strategy

Tungsten bronze ceramics of composition Sr₂Ag_0.2Na_0.8Nb_5-xTa_xO₁₅ were synthesized by solid state methods to investigate the impact of Ta replacement on the structure and energy-storage properties (ESP). The study on the relationship between structure and electric properties revealed three main conclusions: (1) as the Ta⁵⁺ concentration increased, the crystal structure transformed from an orthorhombic Im2a phase to a tetragonal paraelectric P4bm phase; (2) a high recoverable energy storage density (1.44 J/cm³) and a moderate efficiency (82%) under low-electric fields was obtained in x = 0.3 sample; (3) both dielectric properties (?9.6 to 232.7 °C) and ESP (30–150 °C) exhibit an excellent thermal stability for x = 0.3 sample. In addition, a high current density (863.69 A/cm²) and a large powder density (70.21 MW/cm³) were achieved simultaneously. The current system could be a promising candidate in temperature-stable dielectric capacitors under low-fields and over a broad temperature range.     

High energy storage and ultrafast discharge in NaNbO3-based lead-free dielectric capacitors via a relaxor strategy

Dielectric capacitors with decent energy storage and fast charge-discharge performances are essential in advanced pulsed power systems. In this study, novel ceramics (1-x)NaNbO₃-xBi(Ni_2/3Nb_1/3)O₃(xBNN, x = 0.05, 0.1, 0.15 and 0.20) with high energy storage capability, large power density and ultrafast discharge speed were designed and prepared. The impedance analysis proves that the introducing an appropriate amount of Bi(Ni_0·5Nb_0.5)O₃ boosts the insulation ability, thus obtaining a high breakdown strength (E_b) of 440 kV/cm in xBNN ceramics. A high energy storage density (W_total) of 4.09 J/cm³, recoverable energy storage density (W_rec) of 3.31 J/cm³, and efficiency (η) of 80.9% were attained in the 0.15BNN ceramics. Furthermore, frequency and temperature stability (fluctuations of W_rec ≤ 0.4% over 5–100 Hz and W_rec ≤ 12.3% over 20–120 °C) were also observed. The 0.15BNN ceramics exhibited a large power density (19 MW/cm³) and ultrafast discharge time (~37 ns) over the range of ambient temperature to 120 °C. These enhanced performances may be attributed to the improved breakdown strength and relaxor behavior through the incorporation of BNN. In conclusion, these findings indicate that 0.15BNN ceramics may serve as promising materials for pulsed power systems.     

Simultaneously achieving high energy storage density and efficiency under low electric field in BiFeO3-based lead-free relaxor ferroelectric ceramics

BiFeO₃-BaTiO₃-based relaxor ferroelectric ceramic has attracted increasing attention for energy storage applications. However, simultaneously achieving high recoverable energy storage density (W_rec) and efficiency (η) under low electric field has been a longstanding drawback for their practical applications. Herein, a novel relaxor ferroelectric material was designed by introducing (Sr_0.7Bi_0.2)TiO₃ (SBT) into the composition 0.67BiFeO₃-0.33BaTiO₃ (BF-BT-xSBT). A large W_rec of ∼2.40 J/cm³ and a high η of ∼90.4 % were simultaneously realized under a low electric field of 180 kV/cm, which is superior to that of most previously reported lead-free ceramics. Moreover, moderate temperature endurance and excellent frequency stability were also obtained. More importantly, this ceramic has a large discharge current density (∼289.18 A/cm²), a discharge power density (∼14.46 MW/cm³) and short discharge time (<0.25 μs). These results not only demonstrate superior potential in BF-BT-SBT ceramics, but also offer a new design to tune the energy storage performance of lead-free relaxor ferroelectric ceramics.     

High energy storage density and temperature-stable dielectric properties for (1-x)Bi0.38Na0.38Sr0.24TiO3-xBaSnO3 lead-free relaxor ceramics

Relaxor ferroelectrics are promising candidates for energy storage equipment due to their excellent energy-storage properties. Lead-free (1-x)Bi_0.38Na_0.38Sr_0.24TiO₃-xBaSnO₃ (abbreviated as BNST-100xBS) relaxor ceramics were synthesized by a traditional solid-phase sintering method. The influences of the addition of BaSnO₃ dopants for the energy storage and dielectric temperature-stable properties of BNST-100xBS ceramics were systemically investigated. All samples exhibited a typical pseudo-cubic symmetry structure and obtained the dense microstructure. The ergodic relaxor behavior of all ceramics was observed and revealed a trend of increase as a function of composition. All samples showed a single grain conduction mechanism and the activation energy decreased with the addition of composition. It is related to the generation of oxygen vacancies induced by the defect dipoles. BNST-2.5BS ceramic exhibited an outstanding recoverable energy density of ~1.42 J/cm³ with the corresponding efficiency of ~79.7% at 115 kV/cm field. In addition, excellent temperature-stable permittivity (43–255 °C) was obtained for BNST-7.5BS ceramic. Hence, BNST-2.5BS ceramic revealed excellent energy density properties and BNST-7.5BS exhibited outstanding temperature-stable dielectric permittivity, which was beneficial to use in energy storage equipment and other device applications.     

Tailoring high energy density with superior stability under low electric field in novel (Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3-based relaxor ferroelectric ceramics

Large energy storage density in relaxor ferroelectrics is commonly accompanied with high breakdown strength, which is adverse to the actual dielectric capacitor applications. We demonstrate that such drawback can be effectively resolved by using Sr_0.7Bi_0.2TiO₃ (SBT) to partially replace relaxor ferroelectric 0.76(Bi_0.5Na_0.5)TiO₃-0.24NaNbO₃ (BNT-NN-xSBT). In this study, a high recoverable energy storage density (W_rec∼3.12 J/cm³) and favorable efficiency (η∼75.3 %) are achieved in the BNT-NN-0.1SBT ceramic under a low electric field of 200 kV/cm, which is superior to that of most previously reported dielectric ceramics under the same electric field level. Good temperature stability (25−120 °C), moderate frequency dependence (1−500 Hz), and excellent fatigue resistance (up to 10⁵ cycles) are also realized. More interestingly, the indicated ceramics perform high power density (P_D∼36.40 MW/cm³) and fast discharge time (t_0.9∼0.149 μs) with remarkable temperature endurance. Moreover, of particular significance is that this study offers a feasible guideline to design comprehensive energy storage performance dielectric ceramics for practical applications.     

Enhanced energy storage performance in samarium and hafnium co-doped silver niobate ceramics

Improving energy storage density and efficiency of antiferroelectric materials could promote their use within energy storage field, particularly in the context of pulsed power sources. In this study, Sm and Hf co-doped silver niobate (AgNbO₃; AN) ceramics were prepared using traditional solid-state method. Comprehensive analysis of crystal structure, microstructure, defects, absorbance, and energy storage performance of the material was conducted. Results reveal that co-doping increased the concentration of cation vacancies and band gap, decreased the M₁–M₂ and M₂–M₃ phase transition temperatures, and enhanced the antiferroelectric phase stability and energy storage performance. The (Ag_0.955Sm_0.015)(Nb_0.95Hf_0.05)O₃ ceramic exhibited energy storage density of 5.35 J/cm³ and energy storage efficiency of 73% at electric field (E) of 295 kV/cm, demonstrating significant improvement. The (Ag_0.955Sm_0.015)(Nb_0.95Hf_0.05)O₃ ceramic exhibited excellent thermal stability (<5% in the range of 25 °C-125 °C) and frequency stability (<3% in the range of 1–100 Hz under E = 290 kV/cm). Additionally, the (Ag_0.955Sm_0.015)(Nb_0.95Hf_0.05)O₃ ceramic exhibited ultrahigh discharge speed (∼18 μs) and high discharge energy density (4.9 J/cm³). These advantages make these ceramics promising materials for energy storage applications.     

High recoverable energy storage density and large energy efficiency simultaneously achieved in BaTiO3–Bi(Zn1/2Zr1/2)O3 relaxor ferroelectrics

Relaxor ferroelectrics have attracted much attention as electric energy storage materials for intermittent energy storage because of their high saturated polarization, near-zero remnant polarizations, and considerable dielectric breakdown strength (BDS). Despite the numerous efforts, the dielectric energy storage performance of relaxor ferroelectric ceramics is incomplete or unsatisfactory. The enhancement of recoverable energy storage density W_rec usually accompanies with the sacrifice of discharge-to-charge energy efficiency η; therefore, it is an important issue to achieve high recoverable W_rec and large efficiency η simultaneously. In this work, the (1-x)BaTiO₃-xBi(Zn_1/2Zr_1/2)O₃ (abbreviated as BT-100xBZZ, 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.20) ferroelectric ceramics were prepared using the conventional solid-state reaction method. The phase structure, microstructural morphology, dielectric and ferroelectric properties, relaxation behaviors, and energy storage properties of BT-BZZ ceramics were investigated in detail. X-ray powder diffraction, dielectric spectra, and ferroelectric properties confirm the transformation of tetragonal phase for normal ferroelectrics (BT) to pseudo-cubic phase for relaxor ferroelectrics (BT-8BZZ). A high recoverable energy storage density W_rec of 2.47 J/cm³ and a large energy efficiency η of 94.4% are simultaneously achieved in the composition of BT-12BZZ, which presents typical weakly coupled relaxor ferroelectric characteristics, with an activation energy E_a of 0.21 eV and a freezing temperature T_f of 139.7 K. Such excellent energy storage performance suggests that relaxor ferroelectric BT-12BZZ ceramics are promising dielectric energy storage materials for high-power pulsed capacitors.     

High energy storage performance in BaTiO3-based lead-free relaxors via multi-dimensional collaborative design

The application of advanced pulse power capacitors strongly depends on the fabrication of high-performance energy storage ceramics. However, the low recoverable energy storage density (W_rec) and energy efficiency (η) become the key links limiting the development of energy storage capacitors. In this work, a high W_rec of ～5.57 J cm^?3 and a large η of ～85.6% are simultaneously realized in BaTiO₃-based relaxor ceramics via multi-dimensional collaborative design, which are mainly attributed to the ferroelectric-relaxor transition, enhanced polarization, improved breakdown electric field, and delayed polarization saturation. Furthermore, the excellent temperature stability (ΔW_rec < ± 5%, 25–140 °C), frequency stability (ΔW_rec < ± 5%, 1–200 Hz), and outstanding charge/discharge performance (current density ～1583.3 A cm^?2, power density ～190.0 MW cm^?3) with good thermal stability are also achieved. It is encouraging that this work demonstrates that multi-dimensional collaborative design is a good strategy to develop new high-performance lead-free materials used in advanced dielectric capacitors.     

Combining high energy efficiency and fast charge-discharge capability in novel BaTiO3-based relaxor ferroelectric ceramic for energy-storage

Compared with the other types of ceramic capacitors, relaxor ferroelectric ceramics demonstrate superior potential in energy-storage fields due to their higher energy efficiency, faster charge-discharge rate, and better temperature stability. In this study, we designed and synthesized a novel high performance BaTiO₃-based ((1-x)BaTiO₃-xBi(Ni_2/3Nb_1/3)O₃, x?=?0.08, 0.10, 0.12, and 0.14) energy-storing ceramics through ferroelectric properties modulation, which display typical relaxor characteristics. The optimum energy storage properties, i.e. ultrahigh energy efficiency (95.9%), high energy-storage density (2.09?J?cm^?3) and good temperature stability (the fluctuations in energy-storage properties are less than 5% over 20–120?°C) are obtained at x?=?0.12 (0.88BT-0.12BNN). The 0.88BT-0.12BNN relaxor ferroelectric ceramic demonstrates obviously superior comprehensive energy-storage properties than most of other unleaded ceramics. Besides, investigation efforts were also spent on the pulsed charge-discharge performance of the 0.88BT-0.12BNN ceramic to evaluate its feasibility as energy-storage devices. More importantly, the 0.88BT-0.12BNN ceramic also exhibits outstanding charge-discharge performance with fast discharge rate (t_0.9 <?100?ns), a high level of power density (36.9?MW?cm^?3), and good temperature stability. These excellent performance parameters qualify this novel and environmentally friendly BaTiO₃-based ceramic as a promising alternative option in energy-storage section. Meanwhile, this study also provides an effective approach to attain high energy-storage density as well as energy efficiency in BaTiO₃-based relaxor ferroelectric ceramics.