Piezoelectric-effect-induced heterogeneous electrochemical reactions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016214902-A1
Application number	US-201615002231-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 20, 2016
Priority date	Jan 28, 2015
Publication date	Jul 28, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Domain polarization can affect the surface properties of ferroelectric oxides. Mechanical energy is exploited to enable direct chemical reactions on the ferroelectric surface by the piezoelectric effect. Transient local electrostatic potentials on ferroelectric surface evoked by external mechanical excitation through the piezoelectric effect can activate redox reactions in solution at predefined domain locations. Conversion of mechanical via electrical to chemical energy can thereby be realized.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method of preparing a piezoelectric nanofiber, comprising:
providing one or more piezoelectric material precursors and a matrix polymer in a solution; and electrospinning the solution to provide a sol-gel nanofiber of the piezoelectric material.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric material comprises a perovskite ferroelectric.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the perovskite ferroelectric comprises Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 , PbTiO 3 , or (Ba,Sr)TiO 3 .

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric material comprises barium titanate and the one or more piezoelectric material precursors comprise titanium isopropoxide and barium acetate.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the solution comprises an aqueous solution and the matrix polymer comprises a water-soluble polymer.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the water-soluble polymer comprises polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyethylene oxide, or polyvinyl alcohol.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising heating the sol-gel nanofiber to a temperature sufficient to remove solvent and allow hydrolysis and condensation of the sol-gel to complete.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising heating the nanofiber to a temperature sufficient to burn off the polymer matrix.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising heating the nanofiber to a temperature sufficient to crystallize the ferroelectric material.

10 . A method of inducing a heterogeneous electrochemical reaction, comprising:
providing a redox solution; immersing a piezoelectric material into the redox solution; and applying a transient mechanical stress to the piezoelectric material, wherein the ferroelectric domain structure of the piezoelectric material produces a redox chemical reaction on the immersed surface of the piezoelectric material.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the applying the transient mechanical stress comprises applying a transient acoustic stress.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the transient acoustic stress comprises ultrasound, infrasound, or vibration.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the piezoelectric material comprises a perovskite ferroelectric.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the perovskite ferroelectric comprises barium titanate, Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 , PbTiO 3 , or (Ba,Sr)TiO 3 .

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the piezoelectric material comprises a micro/nanostructure.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the micro/nanostructure comprises a nanofiber.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the micro/nanostructure comprises a nanoparticle, nanorod, nanowire, or nanosheet.

18 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the redox solution comprises an aqueous silver nitrate solution.

Assignees

• Sandia Corp

Inventors

• Schwarz Haiqing L
• Scrymgeour David

Classifications

• C04B35/4682

  based on BaTiO3 perovskite phase · CPC title

• C04B35/62259 Primary

  Fibres based on titanium oxide · CPC title

• C04B35/472 Primary

  based on lead titanates · CPC title

• C04B2235/449

  Organic acids, e.g. EDTA, citrate, acetate, oxalate · CPC title

• C04B2235/95

  Products characterised by their size, e.g. microceramics · CPC title