Enhanced energy storage properties of Ta5+ doped AgNbO3 lead-free antiferroelectric ceramics
摘要
AgNbO3 antiferroelectric (AFE) material has emerged as an ideal candidate for high-energy density storage applications owing to its robust polarization strength and environmental benignity. However, its application prospects are limited due to its low energy storage efficiency and strict requirements for oxidation atmosphere in preparation. In this study, we employed hydrothermal synthesis to pre-stabilize silver niobate powder, and optimized the energy storage performance through tantalum (Ta2O5) doping, which was then sintered into ceramics without additional oxygen atmosphere protection, while achieving a significant reduction in grain size (from 5.4 μm to 2.3 μm) and a doubling of breakdown field strength (from 195 kV·cm−1 to 410 kV·cm−1). Notably, at 10 mol% Ta doping, the material achieves an ultrahigh energy storage density of 6.4 J·cm−3 with an efficiency of 64%, establishing a novel strategy for optimizing lead-free AFE materials.