Piezoelectric glass?ceramics: Crystal chemistry, orientation mechanisms, and emerging applications

Piezoelectric materials have coupled mechanical and electrical energies long been used in devices for actuators, sensors, energy harvesters, frequency filters, various additional applications. Piezoelectricity requires a non-centrosymmetric crystal structure is therefore confined to that possess periodic crystalline structure. Due the non-crystalline nature of glass, piezoelectricity fundamentally forbidden. However, one way exploit piezoelectric properties glassy matrix by developing glass-ceramics controlled growth phase. Growth orientation crystals non-trivial process has explored combine formability glass with thermal resilience glass-ceramics. While extensive work done field functional glass-ceramics, results are presented isolated articles comprehensive review pertaining symmetry breaking methods anisotropic absent from literature. Here, we present global fundamental requirements piezoelectricity, development polar, glass-ceramic compositions (specifically those LiNbO3 fresnoite-based phases), mechanisms, including relevant kinetic thermodynamic driving forces. Lastly, discuss challenges associated implementing gradients drive oriented develop non-centrosymmetry, need future modeling produce adequate time-temperature-transformation (TTT) diagrams take into account forces growth. Going beyond technical challenges, conclude an examination current potential applications symmetry-dependent ceramics.