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Relaxor ferroelectrics (RFEs) are being actively investigated for energy storage applications due to their large electric-field-induced polarization with slim hysteresis and fast energy charging-discharging capability. Here, we report a nanograin engineering approach based upon high kinetic energy deposition for artificially inducing the RFE behavior in a normal ferroelectric Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (PZT) and simultaneously enhancing the dielectric breakdown strength (EDBS) and polarization. Artificially engineered polycrystalline relaxor PZT films with 4 µm thickness exhibited an exceptional EDBS of 540 MV/m and reduced hysteresis with large unsaturated polarization (103.6 µC/cm2), resulting in an ultrahigh energy storage density of 124 J/cm3 and a power density of 64.5 MW/cm3. This fundamental microstructure-based design approach overcomes the limitations imposed by composition and provides a feasible pathway for designing high-performance energy storage materials, where high EDBS, reduced hysteretic behavior, and enhanced polarization are required.

The present work reports for the first time, the employment of ferroelectric ZrO2 films as energy storage capacitors utilized in pulsed power systems. Furthermore, the effect of insertion of a low permittivity dielectric HfO2:Al2O3 (HAO) layer, with a thickness ranging from 2 to 8 nm, on the tunability of ferroelectric and energy storage characteristics of ZrO2 films is assessed. The increase in thickness of the HAO layer gave rise to distorted ferroelectric loops with decreased polarization, coercive field, and hysteresis loss of the films. These results are correlated with the depolarization field induced by the insertion of the dielectric HAO layer. An optimum combination of high energy density of 54.3 J cm−3 and good storage efficiency of 51.3% are obtained for the ZrO2 film capacitors with 2 nm-thick HAO insert layer. These values correspond to an increase of ∼55% and ∼92%, from the respective values of pure ZrO2 film capacitors. In addition, the HAO/ZrO2 films showed a good fatigue endurance of energy storage performance over 109 electric field cycles. The energy storage density obtained from HAO(2 nm)/ZrO2 film capacitor is found to be higher than that reported for several Pb-based as well as Pb-free ferroelectric ceramic films with complex compositions. The present study demonstrates that simple binary oxides such as ZrO2 with ferroelectric behavior could be potential candidates for developing high performance energy storage capacitors., This work was supported by: (i) the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) in the framework of the Strategic Funding Contracts UIDB/04650/2020 and the Scientific and Technological Cooperation Program between Portugal (FCT) and Morocco (CNRST) – 2019/2020; (ii) DST-SERB, Govt. of India through Grant No. ECR/2017/00006. C. I., R. N. and C. G. acknowledge the financial support from the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research within the project PN3– PCCF PN-III-P4-ID-PCCF2016-0047, contract no. 16/2018. The authors acknowledge the CERIC-ERIC Consortium for access to experimental facilities and financial support under proposal 20192055.

The rapidly growing demands for electrical energy storage devices have motivated intense research efforts on respective technologies. Electrostatic capacitors, made up of dielectrics, display giant power density as well as ultrashort discharge times, which make them useful as energy storage devices employed in pulsed power systems. Nevertheless, the low energy density of the electrostatic capacitors is a significant limitation, which necessitates the use of many capacitor arrays making the storage devices bulky. Hence, efforts on the capacitors, for pulsed power applications, have been focused mainly on developing dielectric materials with high-energy density and storage efficiency together with good fatigue endurance and thermal stability. In this regard, dielectric materials based on polymers, glasses, and ceramics, belonging to linear dielectrics, paraelectrics, ferroelectrics, relaxor ferroelectrics, and antiferroelectrics, have been studied. This chapter broadly covers the studies on energy storage properties of lead-based and lead-free ferroelectric, relaxor ferroelectric, and antiferroelectric bulk ceramics and films. Employment of dielectric capacitors in pulsed power systems and their applications, figures of merit for energy storage performance, and the dielectric properties influencing them are also discussed., This work was supported by the Basic Science Research Program of the National Research Foundation (NRF) of Korea funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (Grant No. NRF-2019R1A2B5B01070100). J.P.B.S. is grateful for the financial support from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) in the framework of the Strategic Funding (Grant No. UIDB/04650/2020)

In this study, it is proposed and demonstrated that highly tunable magnetoelectric (ME) response can be achieved from magnetostrictive/piezoelectric laminate composites by integrating the effects of size variation and piezoelectric anisotropy. Tri-layered, rectangular ME composites with different aspect ratios were prepared using a magnetostrictive Fe-Ga alloy and a (011) oriented Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PMN-PZT) piezoelectric single crystal. ME coefficients in the range of 0.25–2.2 V/cm·Oe and 2–75 V/cm·Oe in the off-resonance and resonance mode, respectively, were obtained from the composites. Magnetic sensitivity of the ME composites followed a similar trend in variation as that of their ME response with respect to the laminate size and applied magnetic field direction. The tunability of the ME response of the composites was correlated with the size dependent demagnetization and magnetic flux density distribution in the Fe-Ga alloy and direction dependent piezoelectric properties of the (011) PMN-PZT single crystal. In both the off-resonance and resonance modes, an order of magnitude large tunability could be attained in the ME coefficient of the composites. Such a highly tunable ME response will facilitate the development of ME based devices with controllable functionality.

In the emerging era of Internet of Things (IoT), power sources for wireless sensor nodes in conjunction with efficient and secure wireless data transfer are required. Energy harvesting technologies are promising solution toward meeting the requirements for sustainable power sources for the IoT. In this review, we focus on approaches for harvesting stray vibrations and magnetic field due to their abundance in the environment. Piezoelectric materials and piezoelectric–magnetostrictive [magnetoelectric (ME)] composites can be used to harvest vibration and magnetic field, respectively. Currently, such harvesters use modified lead zirconate titanate (or lead-based) piezoelectric materials and ME composites. However, environmental concerns and government regulations require the development of a suitable lead-free replacement for lead-based piezoelectric materials. In the past decade, several lead-free piezoelectric compositions have been developed and demonstrated with promising piezoelectric response. This paper reviews the significant results reported on lead-free piezoelectric materials with respect to high-density energy harvesting, covering novel processing techniques for improving the piezoelectric response and temperature stability. The review of the state-of-the-art studies on vibration and magnetic field harvesting is provided and the results are used to discuss various strategies for designing high-performance energy harvesting devices.

Dielectric ceramic film capacitors, which store energy in the form of electric polarization, are promising for miniature pulsed power electronic device applications. For a superior energy storage performance of the capacitors, large recoverable energy density, along with high efficiency, high power density, fast charge/discharge rate, and good thermal/fatigue stability, is desired. Herein, we present highly dense lead-free 0.942[Na0.535K0.480NbO3]–0.058LiNbO3 (KNNLN) ferroelectric ceramic thick films (∼5 μm) demonstrating remarkable energy storage performance. The nanocrystalline KNNLN thick film fabricated by aerosol deposition (AD) process and annealed at 600 °C displayed a quasi-relaxor ferroelectric behavior, which is in contrast to the typical ferroelectric nature of the KNNLN ceramic in its bulk form. The AD film exhibited a large recoverable energy density of 23.4 J/cm3, with an efficiency of over 70% under the electric field of 1400 kV/cm. Besides, an ultrahigh power density of 38.8 MW/cm3 togethe...

Harvesting energy from otherwise wasted resources has been intensively investigated as a promising technology especially for enabling the deployment of autonomous wireless-sensor networks for the Internet of Things. Multi-stimulus energy harvesting, simultaneously from different energy sources, provides an attractive opportunity to amplify the power density of harvesters, thereby extending their potential for self-powered devices. In this article, we review recent and ongoing research efforts aimed at enhancing the energy-harvesting performance of magnetoelectric (ME) composite harvesters employing dual stimuli, mechanical vibrations, and magnetic fields. After a brief introduction to vibration, magnetic field, and dual-mode energy harvesting, we survey the key materials utilized for ME energy harvesting. We then focus on progress in this area and discuss relevant ideas to realize electromechanical and magnetoelectric coupling for harvesting energy from mechanical vibrations and magnetic fields simultaneously. We provide perspectives and future directions as well.

Enhanced and self-biased magnetoelectric (ME) coupling is demonstrated in a laminate heterostructure comprising 4 μm-thick Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) film deposited on 50 μm-thick flexible nickel (Ni) foil. A unique fabrication approach, combining room temperature deposition of PZT film by granule spray in vacuum (GSV) process and localized thermal treatment of the film by laser radiation, is utilized. This approach addresses the challenges in integrating ceramic films on metal substrates, which is often limited by the interfacial chemical reactions occurring at high processing temperatures. Laser-induced crystallinity improvement in the PZT thick film led to enhanced dielectric, ferroelectric, and magnetoelectric properties of the PZT/Ni composite. A high self-biased ME response on the order of 3.15 V/cm·Oe was obtained from the laser-annealed PZT/Ni film heterostructure. This value corresponds to a ∼2000% increment from the ME response (0.16 V/cm·Oe) measured from the as-deposited PZT/Ni sample. This result is also one of the highest reported values among similar ME composite systems. The tunability of self-biased ME coupling in PZT/Ni composite has been found to be related to the demagnetization field in Ni, strain mismatch between PZT and Ni, and flexural moment of the laminate structure. The phase-field model provides quantitative insight into these factors and illustrates their contributions toward the observed self-biased ME response. The results present a viable pathway toward designing and integrating ME components for a new generation of miniaturized tunable electronic devices.

In contrast to typical magnetic energy generators that use electromagnetic induction, which are bulky and have low generation efficiency under small magnetic fields at low frequency, magneto-mechano-electric (MME) generators utilizing the magnetoelectric (ME) coupling effect and magnetic interactions are considered promising candidates. MME generators will serve as a ubiquitous autonomous energy source converting stray magnetic noise to useful electric energy for applications in wireless sensor networks (WSN) for the Internet of Things (IoT) and low-power-consuming electronics. The key component in a MME generator is the ME composite consisting of piezoelectric and magnetostrictive materials, which elastically couples the electric and magnetic behaviour of the respective constituent. Here, we report a MME generator consisting of a crystallographically oriented Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 piezoelectric single crystal macro-fibre composite and a highly textured magnetostrictive Fe–Ga alloy, which exhibits an exceptionally high rectified DC output power density of 3.22 mW cm−3. The large energy generation in this structure is ascribed to the coupling between the strong anisotropic properties of the piezoelectric single crystal fibres and textured Fe–Ga magnetostrictive alloy. A smart watch with IoT sensors was driven by the MME generator under a 700 μT magnetic field.

In this report a simple and low-cost technique for growing highly textured barium hexaferrite ceramics without the need for flux or seed crystals to achieve grain orientation is demonstrated. Plate-like shaped barium hexaferrite particles were synthesized using a solid-state reaction process and then aligned under a weak magnetic field, followed by uniaxial compaction. The aligned hexaferrite particles appear to serve as seeds, forming textured grains during sintering. The development of texture was verified by X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and vibration sample magnetometer (VSM) measurements. The prepared high-quality hexaferrite ceramics exhibited good anisotropic magnetic properties, comparable to those of single crystal counterparts. A mechanism for the formation of the self-textured grain growth of the barium hexaferrite ceramics, which involves grain boundary and lattice diffusion and interface reaction processes, is proposed.

Aimed at developing lead-free magnetoelectric (ME) composites with performances as good as lead (Pb)-based ones, this study employed (001) and (011) oriented 82BaTiO3-10BaZrO3-8CaTiO3 (BZT–BCT) piezoelectric single crystals, fabricated by the cost-effective solid-state single crystal growth (SSCG) method, in combination with inexpensive, magnetostrictive base metal Nickel (Ni). The off-resonance, direct ME coupling in the prepared Ni/BZT–BCT/Ni laminate composites was found to be strongly dependent on the crystallographic orientation of the BZT–BCT single crystals, as well as the applied magnetic field direction. Larger and anisotropic ME voltage coefficients were observed for the composite made using the (011) oriented BZT–BCT single crystal. The optimized ME coupling of 1 V/cm Oe was obtained from the Ni/(011) BZT–BCT single crystal/Ni composite, in the d32 mode of the single crystal, when a magnetic field was applied along its [100] direction. This performance is similar to that reported for the Ni/Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PMN–PZT) single crystal/Ni, but larger than that obtained from the Ni/Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 ceramic/Ni composites. The results of this work demonstrate that the use of lead-free piezoelectric single crystals with special orientations permits the selection of desired anisotropic properties, enabling the realization of customized ME effects in composites.

The deployment of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) for the internet of things (IoT) and remote monitoring devices has made tremendous progress in the last few years. At the same time, energy harvesters are also being developed to satisfy the power requirement of WSNs and other low power consumption electronics, to increase the device operating time and overcome the limitations of conventional electric power supplies, including batteries. Among various resources for energy harvesting, the magnetic noise produced by power transmission infrastructures and associated mechanical vibrations are ubiquitous energy sources that could be converted into electricity by high efficiency energy conversion materials or devices. Electromagnetic energy conversion systems that operate on the principle of Faraday's induction law can provide sufficient power from strong magnetic fields. However, under weak magnetic fields with low frequency such as 50/60 Hz, the power generated from an electromagnetic device is disappointingly small. Alternative energy harvesting technologies with high power density and small device volume/dimensions are obviously necessary for WSNs of IoT. In this review article, the current status and prospects of an emerging magnetic energy harvesting technology, the so-called magneto-mechano-electric (MME) generators, are reviewed. MME generators utilize the magnetoelectric (ME) coupling in composites of piezoelectric and magnetostrictive materials and interaction between the proof magnet mass and magnetic field. Since the piezoelectric phase in the composite also responds to mechanical vibration directly, an ME-based energy harvester can harness energy from both mechanical vibrations and magnetic fields simultaneously. This combination is expected to enhance the total power output and conversion efficiency. The MME generator can be a ubiquitous power source for WSNs, low power electronic devices, and wireless charging systems by harvesting energy from the tiny magnetic fields present as parasitic magnetic noise in an ambient environment.

We report the effect of epoxy adhesion layers with different mechanical or physical property on a magnetoelectric (ME) composite laminate composed of FeBSi alloy (Metglas)/single-crystal Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-Pb(Zr,Ti)O3/Metglas to achieve an improved ME conversion performance. Through theoretical simulation, it was revealed that the Young's modulus and the thickness of interfacial adhesives were major parameters that influence the conversion efficiency in ME composites. In the experimental evaluation, we utilized three epoxy materials with a distinct Young's modulus and adjusted the average thickness of the adhesion layers to optimize the ME conversion. The experimental results show that a thin epoxy layer with a high Young's modulus provided the best performance in the inorganic-based ME conversion process. By tailoring the interfacial adhesion property, the ME laminate generated a high conversion coefficient of 328.8 V/(cm Oe), with a mechanical quality factor of 132.0 at the resonance mode. Moreover, we demonstrated a highly sensitive alternating current magnetic field sensor that had a detection resolution below 10 pT. The optimization of the epoxy layers in the ME laminate composite provided significant enhancement of the ME response in a simple manner.

Recent technological advances in developing a diverse range of lasers have opened new avenues in material processing. Laser processing of materials involves their exposure to rapid and localized energy, which creates conditions of electronic and thermodynamic nonequilibrium. The laser-induced heat can be localized in space and time, enabling excellent control over the manipulation of materials. Metal oxides are of significant interest for applications ranging from microelectronics to medicine. Numerous studies have investigated the synthesis, manipulation, and patterning of metal oxide films and nanostructures. Besides providing a brief overview on the principles governing the laser-material interactions, here, the ongoing efforts in laser irradiation of metal oxide films and nanostructures for a variety of applications are reviewed. Latest advances in laser-assisted processing of metal oxides are summarized.

Oxide dispersion strengthened ferritic steel powder was prepared by mechanical alloying of pre-alloyed ferritic steel powder together with nano Y 2 O 3 in a dual drive planetary ball mill. A detailed investigation was carried out using X-ray diffraction, field emission electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Microstructural parameters such as, crystallite size, lattice strain, deformation stress and dislocation character were evaluated using different Williamson–Hall models; uniform deformation model, uniform stress deformation model and modified Williamson–Hall model and the results obtained were compared and discussed. Uniform stress deformation model and modified Williamson–Hall model were observed to give better estimation of crystallite size as they consider strain anisotropy. With milling, dislocation character was observed to be changing, from near edge to mixed type. Lattice parameters of the milled powders were also estimated. Uniform milling with convoluted particle shape and homogeneous distribution of Y 2 O 3 throughout the matrix was observed by using electron microscopy.

A record-high, near-theoretical intrinsic magnetoelectric (ME) coupling of 7 V cm-1 Oe-1 is achieved in a heterostructure of piezoelectric Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) film deposited on magnetostrictive Metglas (FeBSi). The anchor-like, nanostructured interface between PZT and Metglas, improved crystallinity of PZT by laser annealing, and optimum volume of crystalline PZT are found to be the key factors in realizing such a giant strain-mediated ME coupling.

Synthesis of nanocrystalline ceria powders is carried out through the mixed fuel combustion approach by using different combinations of glycine and citric acid. The powders obtained with different fuel-to-nitrate (F/N) ratios are characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET surface area analysis, and Raman spectroscopy. TGA and FTIR spectroscopy studies have revealed the presence of carbonaceous species and residual volatiles in the combustion synthesized ceria powders. It is observed that the variation of fuel-to-nitrate ratio has a profound influence on the carbonaceous residues from combustion, crystallite size (11–44 nm), surface area (9–39 m 2 /g) and morphology of the resultant powders. The Raman spectroscopy results on the variation of particle size with F/N ratio are consistent with the conclusions made from X-ray line broadening and BET surface area analysis.

In Maurya et al.,1 the affiliation of Shashank Priya was erroneously changed during revision. The correct affiliation is as follows

Flexible piezoelectric energy harvesters have been regarded as an overarching candidate for achieving self-powered electronic systems for environmental sensors and biomedical devices using the self-sufficient electrical energy. In this research, we realize a flexible high-output and lead-free piezoelectric energy harvester by using the aerosol deposition method and the laser lift-off process. We also investigated the comprehensive biocompatibility of the lead-free piezoceramic device using ex-vivo ionic elusion and in vivo bioimplantation, as well as in vitro cell proliferation and histologic inspection. The fabricated LiNbO3-doped (K,Na)NbO3 (KNN) thin film-based flexible energy harvester exhibited an outstanding piezoresponse, and average output performance of an open-circuit voltage of ∼130 V and a short-circuit current of ∼1.3 μ A under normal bending and release deformation, which is the best record among previously reported flexible lead-free piezoelectric energy harvesters. Although both the KNN and Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) devices showed short-term biocompatibility in cellular and histological studies, excessive Pb toxic ions were eluted from the PZT in human serum and tap water. Moreover, the KNN-based flexible energy harvester was implanted into a porcine chest and generated up to ∼5 V and 700 nA from the heartbeat motion, comparable to the output of previously reported lead-based flexible energy harvesters. This work can compellingly serve to advance the development of piezoelectric energy harvesting for actual and practical biocompatible self-powered biomedical applications beyond restrictions of lead-based materials in long-term physiological and clinical aspects.

A highly dense, 4 μm-thick Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) film is deposited on amorphous magnetostrictive Metglas foil (FeBSi) by granule spray in vacuum process at room temperature, followed by its localized annealing with a continuous-wave 560 nm ytterbium fiber laser radiation. This longer-wavelength laser radiation is able to anneal the whole of thick PZT film layer without any deteriorative effects, such as chemical reaction and/or atomic diffusion, at the interface and crystallization of amorphous Metglas substrate. Greatly enhanced dielectric and ferroelectric properties of the annealed PZT are attributed to its better crystallinity and grain growth induced by laser irradiation. As a result, a colossal off-resonance magnetoelectric (ME) voltage coefficient that is two orders of magnitude larger than previously reported output from PZT/Metglas film-composites is achieved. The present work addresses the problems involved in the fabrication of PZT/Metglas film-composites and opens up emerging possibilities in empl...