Perovskites and perovskite-related materials, popular for their applications in solar cells, have been very well known for presenting piezoelectric properties, explains first author Esther Hung, from the University of Oxford. Although many studies have demonstrated that perovskites and related materials<\/a> can perform comparably to conventional ceramic piezoelectrics<\/a>, most count on toxic metals like lead. In this case, however, researchers \u201ccarefully chose organic and inorganic components to design a lead-free piezoelectric\u2014based on bismuth iodide\u2014which has a record piezoelectric performance,\u201d Hung says.<\/p>\n In this case, the components create an artificial asymmetry in the material\u2019s structure, which induces a distortion and a separation of electrostatic charges. This separation, also commonly called polarization, creates the conditions necessary for the material to respond to pressure and produce the piezoelectric effect. The new material exhibits the highest piezoelectric coefficient ever reported for this type of compound, generating a strong electric response relative to the pressure applied. The structure, similar to a perovskite\u2019s, consists of an organic cation and an inorganic iodobismuthate, an anion containing iodine and bismuth.<\/p>\n Under pressure, piezoelectric materials generate an electric current. This effect is used in applications from flints in lighters to sensitive sensors in laboratories.<\/p>\n Credit: In a computational calculation, an organic cation with added asymmetry displayed a polarization six times stronger than that of a symmetric structure. The effect is even greater in the case of the inorganic anion, which \u201cintroduces intermolecular interactions to intentionally induce tilting and distortion and increase asymmetry,\u201d explains Jovana V. Mili\u0107, a specialist in smart materials at the University of Turku who was not involved in the new work. Overall, the modifications to the cation and anion bump polarization up to 10 times stronger than with symmetric structures, a result supported by the experimental measurements of piezoelectric properties. \u201cThis enhanced polarization is critical for the piezoelectric response,\u201d Mili\u0107 adds.<\/p>\n Besides the material lacking lead-based components, the synthesis strategy for this new material is also more sustainable. \u201cIn stark contrast to ceramic piezoelectric materials, which usually require hundreds of hours of processing and high-temperature, high-pressure processes, [our] material is synthesized as single crystals in under an hour and below 100 \u00b0C,\u201d Hung says. And mechanochemical methods<\/a> make the preparation of bulk batches of this piezoelectric appealing for an easy scale-up. \u201cThe synthesis strategies are based on common methods, such as single-crystal growth, thin film [processing], and mechanosynthesis, which means the material [could be] implemented by engineers,\u201d Hung adds.<\/p>\n \u201cThis new halobismutate, a lead-free material, shows a record-high piezoelectric response,\u201d explains Luis Lanzetta, an expert in perovskite-related materials at the Institute of Advanced Materials at the University Jaume I, who was not involved in the study. \u201cSuch performance is highly promising since it\u2019s comparable to commercial lead-based piezoelectrics, which remain quite toxic and hard to fabricate.\u201d Lanzetta also praises the resourcefulness of this research, since similar halides have rarely been explored as piezoelectrics. \u201cMost studies focus on the optoelectronics properties for uses in solar cells and light-emitting diodes,\u201d he says. \u201cThese piezoelectric properties are yet another example of their versatility.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe competitive characteristics of this lead-free material\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0. open the way to more sustainable piezoelectrics,\u201d Mili\u0107 explains. The ceramic structures of conventional piezoelectrics are usually incompatible with emerging applications in printed electronics, which require flexibility and low-cost manufacturing. Since the new piezoelectric is more sustainable, is nontoxic, and performs comparably to commercial inorganic piezoelectrics, it is better suited for smart electronics. The processing of piezoelectrics into solutions and thin films facilitates the fabrication of smart devices, using systems already available in semiconductor fabrication plants<\/a>. Lead-free piezoelectrics could overcome the strict international regulations restricting hazardous chemicals, and could also become \u201cparticularly relevant for emerging technologies, such as wearables, sensors, and self-powered flexible electronics,\u201d Mili\u0107 says.<\/p>\n \n Chemical & Engineering News<\/p>\n ISSN 0009-2347<\/p>\n Copyright \u00a9![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Lead-free-piezoelectric-material---304850.gif\")
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\n Tizeff\/Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 3.0<\/p>\n
\n 2026 American Chemical Society<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u00a0 Researchers in the UK have designed a lead-free material with promising piezoelectric properties (J. Am. Chem. Soc.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":268743,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[74],"tags":[18,36471,137351,19,17,15774,456,137352,1373,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-268742","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-technology","8":"tag-eire","9":"tag-electronic","10":"tag-electronic-materials","11":"tag-ie","12":"tag-ireland","13":"tag-lead","14":"tag-materials","15":"tag-piezoelectric","16":"tag-sustainability","17":"tag-technology"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/115843647645226732","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268742","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=268742"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268742\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/268743"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=268742"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=268742"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=268742"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}