DataVXAdvanced Energy MaterialsPaper
journal article·2026-06-30

Giant and Broad‐Temperature Electrocaloric Cooling via B‐Site Medium‐Entropy Design in PST‐Based Multilayer Ceramics

Ziyue Ma, Hao Wang, Xiali Liang, Lujun Li, Laijun Liu, Le Zhang, Liqiang He, Shuaishuai Cui, Huajin Chen, Qi Zhang, Yongfeng Wang, Dingyuan Wang, Yisong Bai, Mingkai Liu, Jizhao Zou, Wanbiao Hu, Biaolin Peng

Advanced Energy Materials
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Source abstract

Abstract

ABSTRACT The practical deployment of electrocaloric solid‐state cooling is hindered by a critical materials challenge: achieving a large ΔT ad over a broad, stable temperature range without requiring excessive electric fields. Here, we overcome this limitation through B‐site medium‐entropy engineering in a relaxor ferroelectric multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC). The designed Pb(Sc 0.25 Ta 0.25 In 0.25 Nb 0.25 )O 3 MLCC exhibits a giant directly‐measured ΔT ad of 9.34 K under a moderate field of 370 kV cm −1 , which remains stable across a 90 K temperature window and withstands over 10 6 field cycles. This performance sets a new benchmark for lead‐based dielectric MLCCs. Through atomic‐scale imaging and phase‐field simulation, we reveal that the equimolar medium‐entropy configuration induces synergistic octahedral distortions and polarization nanoregions (PNRs), flattening the free‐energy landscape and significantly reducing the polarization‐switching barrier. This work establishes a generalizable strategy that B‐site medium‐entropy to decouple high EC strength from thermal instability, paving the way for high‐performance, practical solid‐state cooling devices.
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Research context

Ceramics & glassesNanomaterialsElectronic materials

OpenAlex topics: Ferroelectric and Piezoelectric Materials · Dielectric materials and actuators · Ferroelectric and Negative Capacitance Devices

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

School of Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology Xidian University Xi'an P. R. China

Yunnan Key Laboratory of Electromagnetic Materials and Devices National Center for International Research On Photoelectric and Energy Materials School of Materials and Energy Yunnan University Kunming P. R. China

School of Materials Science and Engineering Guilin University of Technology Guilin P. R. China

School of Physics and MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter Frontier Institute of Science and Technology Xi'an Jiaotong University Xi'an P. R. China

Henan Minci Microelectronics Co., Ltd Nanyang P. R. China

Basque Centre for Materials Applications & Nanostructures UPV/EHU Science Park Leioa Spain

IKERBASQUE Basque Foundation for Science Bilbao Spain

School of Aeronautical Manufacturing and Vehicle Engineering XiHang University Xi'an Shaanxi P. R. China

Qingdao Haier Smart Technology R&D Co., Ltd Qingdao P. R. China

School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering Anhui University of Technology Ma'anshan Anhui P. R. China

Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Energy Materials Service Safety Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Special Functional Materials & Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory for Advance Technology of Ceramics College of Materials Science and Engineering Shenzhen University Shenzhen Guangdong P. R. China

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China · National Key Research and Development Program of China

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