A
crystal of the newly discovered piezoelectric material viewed under a
microscope. Credit: University of Birmingham/University of Oxford
Scientists
have developed a new material that converts motion into electricity
(piezoelectricity) with greater efficiency and without using toxic lead—paving
the way for a new generation of devices that we use in everyday life.
Publishing their discovery in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, researchers
from the University of Birmingham, University of Oxford, and University of
Bristol describe a material that is both durable and sensitive to
movement—opening possibilities for a wide range of innovative devices such as
sensors, wearable electronics, and self-powered devices.
Based on bismuth iodide, an inorganic
salt with low toxicity, the new soft, hybrid material rivals the performance of
traditional lead-based ceramics but with lower toxicity and easier processing.
It contains no lead compared to existing high-performance alternatives such as
PZT (lead zirconate titanate), which is 60% lead, and can be produced at room
temperature rather than 1,000°C.
Piezoelectric materials generate
electric charge when pressed or bent and can also deform when an electric field
is applied. They are essential to technologies ranging from precision
actuators—used in products like camera autofocus and inkjet printer pumps—to
energy-harvesting sensors built into wearable technology like fitness trackers,
smart clothing, and car airbag systems.
Lead author Dr. Esther Hung, from the
University of Oxford's Department of Physics who led the research, said,
"By fine-tuning the interactions between the organic and inorganic
components, we were able to create a delicate structural instability that
breaks symmetry in just the right way.
"This interplay between order and
disorder is what gives the material its exceptional piezoelectric response.
It's a different approach to piezoelectricity than in traditional materials
such as lead zirconate titanate (PZT), and that's what's led to these big
improvements."
The global piezoelectric materials
market is worth over $35 billion and continues to grow rapidly—driven by demand
in automotive, health care, robotics, and consumer electronics, where devices
that convert motion into electricity or precise movement are essential.
Researchers at the University of
Birmingham used single-crystal X-ray diffraction and solid-state nuclear
magnetic resonance (NMR) to understand the material's behavior.
They found that the way that organic and inorganic parts stick together through halogen bonding can be used to change when and how the material changes its structure, as well as improve piezoelectric performance. This understanding could also be useful for enhancing piezoelectric performance in other materials that combine organic and inorganic elements.
From left, Dr. Benjamin M. Gallant, Dr. Dominik J. Kubicki and Dr. Shrestha Banerjee in front of a solid-state NMR instrument in the Molecular Sciences Building at the University of Birmingham. Credit: University of Birmingham/University of Oxford
Dr.
Benjamin Gallant from the University of Birmingham, who led the NMR study,
said, "As an early career researcher, it's exciting to participate in
research with the power to transform our society—almost every device we use in
our daily lives contains piezoelectrics."
The research was jointly supervised by
Professor Henry Snaith (Oxford), Dr. Harry Sansom (Bristol), and Dr. Dominik
Kubicki (Birmingham), bringing together expertise in new materials, crystal
design, and atomic-level structure characterization.
Dr. Dominik Kubicki from the University
of Birmingham said, "With performance comparable to commercial
piezoelectrics but made from non-toxic bismuth, this discovery is a new pathway
toward environmentally responsible technologies that can power sensors, medical
implants, and flexible electronics of the future."
Source: Soft hybrid material turns motion into power—without toxic lead
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