Progress on Emerging Ferroelectric Materials for Energy Harvesting, Storage and Conversion

Abstract

Since the discovery of Rochelle salt a century ago, ferroelectric materials have been investigated extensively due to their robust responses to electric, mechanical, thermal, magnetic, and optical fields. These features give rise to a series of ferroelectric‐based modern device applications such as piezoelectric transducers, memories, infrared detectors, nonlinear optical devices, etc. On the way to broaden the material systems, for example, from three to two dimensions, new phenomena of topological polarity, improper ferroelectricity, magnetoelectric effects, and domain wall nanoelectronics bear the hope for next‐generation electronic devices. In the meantime, ferroelectric research has been aggressively extended to more diverse applications such as solar cells, water splitting, and CO2 reduction. In this review, the most recent research progress on newly emerging ferroelectric states and phenomena in insulators, ionic conductors, and metals are summarized, which have been used for energy storage, energy harvesting, and electrochemical energy conversion. Along with the intricate coupling between polarization, coordination, defect, and spin state, the exploration of transient ferroelectric behavior, ionic migration, polarization switching dynamics, and topological ferroelectricity, sets up the physical foundation ferroelectric energy research. Accordingly, the progress in understanding of ferroelectric physics is expected to provide insightful guidance on the design of advanced energy materials.

Temperature-Resistant Intrinsic High Dielectric Constant Polyimides: More Flexibility of the Dipoles, Larger Permittivity of the Materials

“…Compared with inorganic dielectric oxide, the polyimides achieve both a high breakdown electric field and self-standing property. Furthermore, the good flexibility and mechanical properties of the polymers are beneficial to the winding process of the capacitors, realizing the miniaturization of electronic devices [ 59 , 60 ].…”

Superior Capacitive Energy-Storage Performance in Pb-Free Relaxors with a Simple Chemical Composition

“…With the rapidly growing field of renewable energy production, automotive electrification, and portable electronics, there is an urgent need for efficient, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective electrical energy-storage devices. − Dielectric capacitors store electrical energy as electrostatic field, showing the highest power density, fastest charging/discharging capability along with superior cyclability, and highest operating voltage among currently available energy-storage devices, and play an indispensable role in modern electrical and electronic systems. − However, their applications are limited due to the low energy density compared with electrochemical energy-storage devices. Further, high energy efficiency is pursued to minimize energy dissipation and ensure reliability.…”

Study of Optoelectronic Features in Polar and Nonpolar Polymorphs of the Oxynitride Tin-Based Semiconductor InSnO2N

“…This class of materials shows two main polymorphs, a nonpolar phase ( P 6 3 cm ) and a polar one ( P 3 c 1). The energy differences between these two phases are below 60 meV/atom, so within the metastability limit. − The low barrier for switching polarization could be used for improving various properties, such as reducing the overpotentials in the oxygen evolution reaction. , Here, in view of the possible applications of InSnO 2 N in green optoelectronic applications, we investigate how many-body effects, such as self-energy bandgap renormalization and electron–hole (e–h) interactions, change the electronic and optical features of such material, analyzing their possible relationship with the material polarity. It is worth stressing that, even if works have been published reporting GW calculations about oxynitrides , and about oxynitride perovskites, to the best of our knowledge, this represents the very first analysis focusing on the optoelectronic features of this class of compounds by properly including excitonic and local-field effects.…”

“…The energy differences between these two phases are below 60 meV/atom, so within the metastability limit. 28 − 30 The low barrier for switching polarization could be used for improving various properties, such as reducing the overpotentials in the oxygen evolution reaction. 31 , 32 Here, in view of the possible applications of InSnO 2 N in green optoelectronic applications, we investigate how many-body effects, such as self-energy bandgap renormalization and electron–hole (e–h) interactions, change the electronic and optical features of such material, analyzing their possible relationship with the material polarity.…”