Enhanced piezoelectric response in single-crystalline Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ nanoplates

¹ Key Laboratory of Low Dimensional Materials and Application Technology of Ministry of Education, Xiangtan University - Hunan Xiangtan 411105, China
² Faculty of Materials, Optoelectronics and Physics, Xiangtan University - Hunan Xiangtan 411105, China
³ Laboratory of Fibre Materials and Modern Textile, the Growing Base for State Key Laboratory, Qingdao University Qingdao 266071, China

^(a) jbwang@xtu.edu.cn
^(b) xlzhong@xtu.edu.cn

Received: 23 May 2013
Accepted: 15 July 2013

Abstract

Hollow microspheres constructed by single-crystalline Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ (BIT) nanoplates were synthesized through a hydrothermal process. The characterization results show that the BIT nanoplates are single crystalline with a lateral size of about 200–500 nm and a thickness of 30–50 nm. Local piezoresponse force measurement indicated an enhanced piezoelectric coefficient d*₃₃ (58 pm/V) of BIT nanoplates than that of the BIT bulk single crystal. The possible reasons for such a large piezoelectric coefficient were analyzed by surface effects and nanodomain structures.