Enhanced piezoelectric energy harvesting performance of PZT-PZN-PNN piezoceramic via microstructure texturing strategy

Piezoelectric energy harvesters can provide sustainable energy solutions for low-power smart devices. However, the strong coupling between the piezoelectric constant (d₃₃) and the dielectric constant (ε_r) limits the efficiency of energy harvesting. In this study, [001]_C-textured ceramics of 0.75 Pb(Zr_1/2Ti_1/2)O₃-0.15 Pb(Zn_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃- 0.10 Pb(Ni_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃with 5 wt% plate-like BaTiO₃templates are manufactured using the template grain growth (TGG) method. The phase structure, texture morphology, domain structure, electrical and energy harvesting properties of textured and non-textured ceramics are explored. The texturing process not only effectively eliminate the grain boundary pinning effect introduced by the template but also guide the matrix oriented growth, forming a textured structure that enables decoupling of electrical parameters. The d₃₃of textured ceramics is enhanced by 34.3 % (d₃₃ = 470 pC/N) compared to solid-phase ceramics, and the piezoelectric energy harvesting factor increases by 43.4 % (FOM₃₃ = 11341 × 10⁻¹⁵ m²/N). The self-assembled piezoelectric energy harvester achieves an output power density of 9.2 μW/cm²under optimal matching impedance conditions. This paper provides an effective approach for decoupling piezoelectric parameters and presents a promising piezoelectric material for energy harvesting.