Improvement of energy storage density and energy harvesting performance of amphoteric Pr ion-modified lead-free Ba0.85Ca0.15Ti0.9Zr0.1O3 (BCZT) ceramics

Mechanical energy harvesting and energy storage through lead-free piezoelectric materials is an inevitable source of eco-friendly sustainable powering of electronic devices. Herein, we have synthesized amphoteric rare-earth element praseodymium (Pr) modified Ba0.85Ca0.15Ti0.9Zr0.1O3(BCZT) ceramics, with a cost-effective solid-state-reaction based two-step sintering method for the controlled grain growth. Their crystalline structures and surface morphology were investigated by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The dielectric and ferroelectric properties of the ceramic capacitors were investigated and correlated with structural parameters. In the vicinity of the monotonic phase transition region, with the coexistence of orthorhombic and tetragonal symmetry, the Pr ion addition in BCZT improves the tetragonal phase, which widens its energy harvesting and storage arena. The appreciable energy harvesting ability was found for an optimized energy harvester with a composition of 0.04 wt% Pr added BCZT ceramic, with an open-circuit voltage of about 5.1 V (corresponding power density of 1.213 mW/cm3) from a simple finger tapping and bring about output voltage stability with a maximum output voltage of about 9 V over 10,000 cycles when periodic force is applied by a machine tapping. Furthermore, this optimized Pr added BCZT ceramic capacitor is capable of storing a substantial recoverable energy density of 81.9 mJ/cm3with a considerable energy storage efficiency of 76.4%. These upshots offer a head start in implementing these ceramic capacitors for effective energy harvesting and energy storage applications for powering futuristic miniature electronics.