Flexoelectricity is the ability of materials to generate a voltage when they are bent or, conversely, to bend under voltage. Flexoelectricity can be present in all materials; however, the magnitude of the flexoelectric coefficients is so small that flexoelectricity is virtually imperceptible on the human scale. The book's objective is to look at the flexoelectric effect in ceramics for various applications point of view such as sensor, actuator and energy harvesting etc. It briefly discusses the flexoelectric effect theories and models with the latest development in this field. Several methods are discussed to increase the flexoelectric effect in ferroelectric and other ceramics. It focused on the latest development in various possible applications such as flexopyroelectric, flexocaloric and nano energy generators. Apart from these, it will also discuss the inverse flexoelectric effect, flexoelectric effect in 2D materials, ambiguities and controversies in this field. This book resolved many questions related to flexoelectricity and made significant discoveries with profound implications beyond flexoelectricity, in such diverse areas as caloric or MEMS devices, etc. It covers the most recent breakthroughs in nano-generator, composite-based ceramics to maximize energy harvesting and storage. Therefore, this book will be handy for a researcher working in this direction of ceramics and can be a reference book for allied specializations. It will open a new approach to using the flexoelectric effect in various ceramics and varieties of applications.
Satyanarayan Patel is currently working as a full-time associate professor in mechanical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Indore. Previously, he worked as a prestigious Alexander Von Humboldt Post-doctoral Fellow in the Nonmetallic-Inorganic Materials Research Group, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany. His research focuses on bulk lead-free ceramics (piezoelectric and pyroelectric) for energy storage, conversion, and caloric effects for solid-state refrigeration. He has worked on the inverse pyroelectric (electrocaloric) effect in bulk ferroelectric ceramics using indirect measurements for solid-state refrigeration. He also explored pyroelectric energy harvesting potential in lead-free ceramics. Additionally, he has performed work on pyrocatalysis for water purification and the effect of compressive pre-stress for tuning pyroelectric properties for energy conversion and other device applications. His current research is focused on pyroelectricity in ferroelectric materials for energy harvesting, pyrocatalysis and sensing applications. Dr. Patel has edited two books and published more than 100 scientific papers.
