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The structure, electrical properties, and depoling mechanism of the (0.95-x)BiScO3-xPbTiO3-0.05Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3 (BS-xPT-PZN, x=0.54-0.70) compositions close to the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) have been systematically investigated as a function of PbTiO3 content (x). The phase approached from the rhombohedral toward the tetragonal phase when the PbTiO3 contents increased. The composition with high PT content exhibited normal ferroelectric behavior while it showed a diffused phase transition characteristic as PT decreased. In the vicinity of the MPB, the ceramics showed enhanced piezoelectric, electromechanical, and ferroelectric properties with piezoelectric constant d33=490 pC/N, planar electromechanical coupling factors kp=57.4%, remnant polarization Pr=40.1 μC/cm2, and coercive field Ec=28.5 kV/cm with a high transition temperature Tm∼417 °C, respectively. The thermal depoling experiments of the polarization for samples with different phase structures were investigated and the possible depoling mechanism was discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cobalt-doped (1-x)BiScO3-xPbTiO3 piezoelectric ceramics were fabricated by conventional solid state synthesis, in which a morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) region was observed in the compositional range of 0.48≤x≤0.53 from the phase structure measurement. Co doping in the 0.50BiScO3–0.50PbTiO3 ceramics resulted in a relaxor ferroelectric behavior due to cation disorder. The ferroelectric phase transition of the composition x=0.50 near the MPB was found to be a displacive and first-order transition with excellent piezoelectric properties, Tm=470 °C, d33=282 pC/N, Kp=0.49, indicating a future high-temperature piezoelectric application [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the discovery of a new class of nanowires with a star-shaped cross section. Unlike most nanowires, it shows a prominent regular reentrant surface profile. The electron diffraction and electron energy loss spectroscopy analyses indicate that the nanowire is composed of superhard boron suboxide (B6O). The fivefold symmetry of the star-shaped nanowire could be understood as a cyclic twinning structure. The crystallographic analysis further suggested that it could be a common occurrence in boron-rich compounds. Star-shaped nanowires with regular reentrant surfaces are attractive for applications in nanotechnology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]