Antiferroelectrics for Energy Storage Applications: a Review

Energy storage materials and their applications have long been areas of intense research interest for both the academic and industry communities. Dielectric capacitors using antiferroelectric materials are capable of displaying higher energy densities as well as higher power/charge release densities by comparison with their ferroelectric and linear dielectric counterparts and therefore have greater potential for practical energy storage applications. Over the past decade, extensive efforts have been devoted to the development of high performance, antiferroelectric, energy storage ceramics and much progress has been achieved. In this review, the current state-of-the-art as regards antiferroelectric ceramic systems, including PbZrO3-based, AgNbO3-based, and (Bi,Na)TiO3-based systems, are comprehensively summarized with regards to their energy storage performance. Strategies are then discussed for the further improvement of the energy storage properties of these antiferroelectric ceramic systems. This is followed by a review of the low temperature sintering techniques and the charge-discharge performance of antiferroelectric ceramics from a practical point of view. The review will be of benefit for researchers in the area as it offers a quick overview of recent progress in the development of various kinds of antiferroelectric ceramics and their properties. It should also stimulate the development of novel antiferroelectric ceramics with high energy storage performance.