New Material Could Replace Lead In Many Energy Storage Devices

A team of Penn State researchers have observed and reported for the first time the unique microstructure of a novel ferroelectric material, enabling the development of lead-free piezoelectric materials for electronics, sensors, and energy storage that are safer for human use. The work was led by the Alem Group at Penn State and in collaboration with research teams at Rutgers University and the University of California, Merced. The paper reporting the results has been published in Nature Communications.Ferroelectrics are a class of materials that demonstrate a spontaneous electric polarization when an external electric charge is applied. This causes a spontaneous electric polarization when positive and negative charges in the materials head to different poles. These materials also have piezoelectric properties, which means the material generates an electrical charge under…

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