Dielectric and ferroelectric characteristics of Ba(Ti0.25Zr0.25Hf0.25Sn0.25)O3 high-entropy ceramics

Ba(Ti0.25Zr0.25Hf0.25Sn0.25)O3 high-entropy ceramics were prepared by a standard solid state reaction process, and the dielectric and ferroelectric characteristics were investigated together with the struc-tures. Both X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis demonstrated a single-phase perovskite structure in the present ceramics. A broad dielectric peak with strong frequency dispersion feature was determined, which indicated the typical relaxor nature originating from the nanoscale ferroelectric domain structures. These resulted from the structural distortion and chemical disorder due to high-entropy, where the long-range order of ferroelectric domains was destroyed. The homogeneous microstructure led to the reduced leakage current density and significantly improved dielectric strength, which was desired for the practical applications. Compared with the similar systems of Ba(Ti1-xZrx)O3 & Ba(Ti1-xSnx)O3, the present high-entropy ceramics indicated better relaxor ferro-electric characteristics. & COPY; 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of The Chinese Ceramic Society. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Automated summary

Ba(Ti0.25Zr0.25Hf0.25Sn0.25)O3 high-entropy ceramics were prepared and their dielectric and ferroelectric characteristics in association with the structures were investigated. The ceramics showed a single-phase perovskite structure as confirmed by X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis. The materials exhibited a broad dielectric peak with strong frequency dispersion, indicating a relaxor nature due to nanoscale ferroelectric domain structures. The homogeneous microstructure contributed to reduced leakage current density and significantly improved dielectric strength, making these ceramics desirable for practical applications. Compared to similar systems, Ba(Ti1-xZrx)O3 & Ba(Ti1-xSnx)O3, the high-entropy ceramics demonstrated superior relaxor ferroelectric characteristics.