Boosting power output performance of Ba0.85Ca0.15SnxZr0.1-xTi0.9O3 piezoelectric nanogenerators via internal resistance regulation strategy

The piezoelectric charge coefficient (d) and transduction coefficient (d×g) of piezoelectric materials are the key factors that determine the power generation performance of piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs). However, it is becoming more difficult to achieve further large improvements in the values of these coefficients. In this work, we propose a new strategy to enhance the output performance of the PENGs by regulating the internal resistance. The internal resistance of Ba0.85Ca0.15Zr0.1Ti0.9O3 (BCZT) PENG was reduced by substituting BaZrO3 with low-resistivity BaSnO3 to obtain high-performance Ba0.85Ca0.15SnxZr0.1-xTi0.9O3 (BCSxZ0.1-xT) PENGs. Although the piezoelectric properties (d and d×g) of BCSxZ0.1-xT deteriorated with increasing Sn content, the power generation capability was markedly improved: the maximum current density (1.27 µA/mm2) and power density (3.09 µW/mm3) were obtained for BCS0.03Z0.07T PENG, reflecting increases of approximately 44% and 18% compared with those values of BCZT PENG, respectively. This work is expected to provide a new way to develop high-performance PENG materials and benefit a wide range of energy harvesting materials.