Piezoelectric Coefficient D33 Research Articles

Boosting piezoelectric properties of PVDF nanofibers via embedded graphene oxide nanosheets

Tremendous research efforts have been directed toward developing polymer-based piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENG) in a promising step to investigate self-charging powered systems (SCPSs) and consequently, support the need for flexible, intelligent, and ultra-compact wearable electronic devices. In our work, electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanofiber mats were investigated while graphene oxide (GO) was added with different concentrations (from 0 to 3 wt.%). Sonication treatment was introduced for 5 min to GO nanosheets before combined PVDF solution. A comprehensive study was conducted to examine the GO incremental effect. Microstructural and mechanical properties were examined using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a texture analyzer. Moreover, piezoelectric properties were assessed via various tests including impulse response, frequency effect, d33 coefficient, charging and discharging analysis, and sawyer tower circuit. Experimental results indicate that incorporation of GO nanosheets enhances piezoelectric properties for all concentrations, which was linked to the increase in β phase inside the nanofibers, which has a significant potential of enhancing nanogenerator performance. PVDF-GO 1.5 wt.% shows a notably higher enhancing effect where the electroactive β-phase and γ-phase are recorded to be boosted to ~ 68.13%, as well as piezoelectric coefficient (d33 ~ 55.57 pC/N). Furthermore, increasing impact force encouraged the output voltage. Also noted that the delivered open circuit voltage is ~ 3671 V/g and the power density is ~ 150 µw/cm2. It was observed that GO of concentration 1.5 wt.% recorded a conversion efficiency of ~ 74.73%. All results are in line, showing better performance for PVDF-GO 1.5 wt.% for almost all concentrations.

Piezoelectric Enhancement in P(VDF-TrFE) Copolymer Films via Controlled and Template-Induced Epitaxy.

The surge in wearable electronics and Internet of Things technologies necessitates the development of both flexible sensors and a sustainable, efficient, and compact power source. The latter further challenges conventional batteries due to environmental pollution and compatibility issues. Addressing this gap, piezoelectric energy harvesters emerge as one kind of promising alternative to convert mechanical energy from ambient sources to electrical energy to charge those low-energy-consumption electronic devices. Despite slightly lower piezoelectric performance compared with those inorganic materials, piezoelectric polymers, notably poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) P(VDF-TrFE), offer compelling properties for both flexible mechanical energy harvesting and self-powered strain/stress sensing, though their piezoelectric performance is expected to be further enhanced via varieties of modulation strategies of microstructures. Herein, we reported the controlled epitaxy process of micrometer-thick copolymer films with the cooperation of friction-transferred poly(tetrafluoroethylene) templates and precise modulation of the annealing conditions. Epitaxial P(VDF-TrFE) films present averaged d33 piezoelectric coefficient of -58.2 pC/N between 50 Hz and 1 kHz with good electromechanical and thermal stability. Owing to the nature of anisotropic crystallization, the epitaxial films exhibit an anisotropic transverse piezoelectric property. Epitaxial films were further utilized for mechanical energy harvesting and monitoring of human pulsation and respiration. This study provided a feasible route for the development of high-performance flexible piezoelectric devices to meet the requirement of flexible electronics.

Defect dipole stretching enables ultrahigh electrostrain.

Piezoelectric actuators have been extensively utilized as micro-displacement devices because of their advantages of large output displacement, high sensitivity, and immunity to electromagnetic interference. Here, we propose a straightforward approach to design <110>-oriented defect dipoles by introducing A-site vacancies and oxygen vacancies in (K0.48Na0.52)0.99NbO2.995 ceramics. As a result, we achieve ultrahigh electrostrains of 0.7% at 20 kV cm-1 (with an effective piezoelectric strain coefficient d33* = 3500 pm V-1), outperforming the performance of existing piezoelectric ceramics at the same driving field. The exceptional electrostrain is primarily attributed to the large stretching of defect dipoles when subjected to an applied electric field, a phenomenon that has been experimentally confirmed. Moreover, the strong interaction between these defect dipoles and <110> spontaneous polarizations plays a critical role in minimizing hysteresis and ensuring excellent fatigue resistance. Our findings present a practical and effective strategy for developing high-performance piezoelectric materials tailored for advanced actuator applications.

Quaternary piezoelectric ceramics with ultra-high mechanical quality factor

The development of piezoelectric ceramics with large piezoelectric coefficient (d33), high Curie temperature (TC) and high mechanical quality factor (Qm) is still a key challenge for practical application for high-power device. Herein, a novel quaternary piezoelectric ceramics of (0.125-x) Pb0.98Sr0.02(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–0.445PbTiO3–0.43PbZrO3-xPb(Mn1/3Nb2/3)O3 (abbreviated as xPMnN-PSMN-PZT) were prepared by the solid-state sintering method. The hard dopant PMnN induced the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) of PSMN-PZT into a tetragonal-rich region. In addition, the XPS and EPR analysis proved the existence of a large amount of oxygen vacancies (Vo••) in PMnN-PSMN-PZT ceramic system. The composition near tetragonal-rich MPB region and the appearance of defect dipoles formed a strong coupling effect on the domain wall motion and leaded to an ultra Qm value. The optimum piezoelectric properties were achieved at x = 9 mol% with d33 = 260 pC/N, Qm = 3880, tanδ = 0.009 and TC = 332 °C. A significant internal bias field (Ebias) of 8.83 kV/cm was also observed in 0.09PMnN-PSMN-PZT ceramics. The origin of this excellent piezoelectric properties was explained by the phase structure, piezoelectric and dielectric analysis. This work demonstrated a rational strategy to obtain ultra Qm value for high-power piezoceramics.

Giant field-induced strain with excellent fatigue performance in (Al0.5Nb0.5)4+-modified 0.85Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-0.11Bi0.5K0.5TiO3-0.04BaTiO3 piezoelectric ceramics

Utilizing a conventional solid-state reaction procedure, (Al0.5Nb0.5)4+-modified 0.85Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-0.11Bi0.5K0.5TiO3-0.04BaTiO3 (BNKT-BT) samples were synthesized. The impact of (Al0.5Nb0.5)4+ on the crystal structure, ferroelectric, dielectric, and AC impedance properties was systematically investigated. The XRD patterns demonstrate that the crystal structures of all samples exhibit typical pseudo-cubic features. According to the XPS, the doping of (Al0.5Nb0.5)4+ reduces the concentration of oxygen vacancies inside the ceramics, which significantly affects the relaxation properties. This substitution successfully triggers a change from a non-ergodic relaxor (NR) state to an ergodic relaxor (ER) state, which is ascribed to the weakening of the pinning effect of the oxygen vacancies on the polar nanoregions (PNRs). The ceramics exhibit an enormous monopolar strain of 0.468 % under 60 kV/cm, accompanied by an inverse piezoelectric coefficient (d33*) of 780 pm/V, surpassing the performance of numerous other BNT-based piezoelectric ceramics. After 1×104 switching cycles, the strain value changes slightly, indicating excellent fatigue performance. The considerable strain arises from a reversible transformation of the ER phase to the ferroelectric phase induced by an electric field. This research suggests that (Al0.5Nb0.5)4+-doped BNKT-BT ceramics have good prospects for application in actuators and sensors.

Compressive stress reduction in sputter-deposited yttrium aluminum nitride (Y0.2Al0.8N) thin films for BAW resonators with high electromechanical coupling

In the past decade, rare earth elements have found increasing interest in enhancing the piezoelectric coefficient of aluminum nitride (AlN) thin films. Until now, scandium has been the most successful rare earth element to enhance the piezoelectric coefficient (d33) up to 600 %. In this research paper, we present a 250 % increase in d33 to 12.5 pC/N for sputter-deposited yttrium alloyed aluminum nitride (Y0.2Al0.8N) thin films compared to pure AlN. However, this increase in d33 comes with a substantial increase in compressive layer stress well above 1 GPa. Therefore, a chamber pressure sweep technique is introduced, resulting in a 40 % reduction in the stress level without significantly affecting the crystallographic film parameters to facilitate device integration. Even more, high compressive stress in thin films is a critical concern in piezoelectric MEMS devices such as bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonators, as it can adversely affect the piezoelectric material properties and hence, the electromechanical performance. For this purpose, we demonstrate that the pressure sweep technique improves the electromechanical coupling factor of Y0.2Al0.8N to 7.02 %, being substantially above the reference value of 6.02 % set by pure AlN. In summary, the findings from this study may stimulate further effort to integrate YxAl1-xN thin films in BAW filter devices for future telecommunication applications.

Adaptive ferroelectric states in KNN-based piezoceramics: Unveiling the mechanism of enhancing piezoelectric properties through multiple phase boundary engineering

Developing high-performance lead-free piezoceramics, such as (K,Na)NbO3 (KNN) material, is critical to achieving environmental sustainability in next-generation electromechanical devices. Although substantial advancements have been made in KNN-based ceramics, a general coherent framework is lacking that links microscopic structure to the enhancement of macroscopic properties. Our findings indicate that the enhanced performance of KNN-based ceramics in multiphase coexistence boundaries can be attributed to the formation of self-adjusting nanodomains in response to strong local structural heterogeneity. The self-adjusting behavior of domain structure is an outcome of minimizing the local stress generated by the lattice mismatch within KNN-based ceramics, which conforms to the thermodynamic principles that favor minimizing total free energy. Guided by this strategy, the present work achieves a significant improvement of electromechanical properties, including a piezoelectric coefficient (d33) of ∼585 pC N−1, an electromechanical coupling factor (kp) of ∼62 %, and a figure of merit (d33 × g33) of ∼12.78 ×10−12 m2 N−1. This study offers a new strategy for developing lead-free piezoceramics through dedicated design of novel phase boundaries.

Microwave sintering of CaBi2Nb2O9 ceramics for improved piezoelectric response and electrical resistivity

AbstractCaBi2Nb2O9 (CBN) ceramic is a promising sensing element to convert vibration to electrical signal at temperatures higher than 600°C. However, conventionally sintered ceramics suffer from poor piezoelectric coefficient (d33) and low electrical resistivity (ρdc). Here, we report that CBN ceramics can be prepared by microwave sintering (MS) to mitigate volatilization issue of Bi2O3 and thus suppress the generation of oxygen vacancies usually seen in conventional sintering (CS) as demonstrated by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis and mass‐loss measurement. As compared to the CS, the MS is more favorable for reducing the sintering time, and obtaining a dense, fine, and uniform grain morphology as revealed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) characterizations of both surface and interior of the CBN ceramics, leading to an enhancement of 86% and 75% in d33 and ρdc, respectively. Piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) as combined with Rayleigh law analysis clearly revealed that the enhancement of piezoelectric properties was attributed to the thinner domains, the higher domain wall density, and the enhanced domain wall motion in the MS‐940 samples. This study paves an important road to simultaneously improve both d33 and ρdc in CBN ceramics for developing high‐temperature vibration sensors.

Achieving enhanced piezoelectric properties in BiFeO3-PbTiO3 based ceramics by a synergistic effects of texturing and structure engineering in reactive template grain growth-like process

A synergistic strategy of texturing and structure engineering in reactive template grain growth-like process has been validated on fabricating 0.66Bi0.9Sm0.1FeO3-0.34PbTiO3 piezoelectric ceramics with enhanced properties. A considerable texture degree is successfully obtained by optimizing sintering conditions. The template is fully dissolved into the matrix after sintering, driving a structure transformation from rhombohedral to pseudo-cubic phase. In comparison to its non-textured counterpart, the textured ceramics show a 69 % increase on large-signal piezoelectric coefficient d33* and a 43 % increase on small-signal piezoelectric coefficient d33. Good high temperature piezoelectric performance is also revealed. At 225 °C, the maximum strain and calculated d33* are 0.22 % and 436 pm/V, respectively, which increase by 49 % compared with corresponding parameters at room temperature. The study not only signify a promising strategy to design high performance BFO based functional materials, but also broaden the scope of texture technology in the development of piezoelectric ceramics.

Restraining quenching-induced decline of resistivity in NBT-BFO ceramics by incorporation of BiAlO3

(1-x)Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3-xBiFeO3 (NBT-BFO) is a system with a composition-induced transition from relaxor to ferroelectric. Upon quenching, 0.4NBT-0.6BFO obtain a Td of 640 °C and d33 of 56 pC/N. However, the quenching treatment also causes the reduction of resistivity, which is unfavorable for high-temperature piezoelectric ceramics. The aim of this study is to restrain quenching-induced decline of resistance in NBT-BFO ceramics by doping a small amount of BiAlO3 (BA). For unquenched NBT-BFO-BA, with increasing BA content, the piezoelectric coefficient (d33) decreases slightly, while the resistivity increases. After quenching, both d33 and the depolarization temperature (Td) increase, but more importantly, the resistivity of quenched NBT-BFO-BA is comparable with that of the unquenched samples. This phenomenon is not observed in other quenched samples, and the reason is attributed to the defect dipoles caused by BA. Besides, the enhanced piezoelectric properties and the resistivity can be retained after annealing the quenched samples at 400 °C for 4 h. Thus, this work implies the potential application of NBT-BFO based piezoelectric ceramics at elevated temperatures.

High-precision BaTiO3 piezoelectric ceramics via vat photopolymerization 3D printing

BaTiO3 ceramics with high precision and superior performance are fabricated by vat photopolymerization 3D printing technology. The curing behaviors and photosensitive mechanisms are systematically investigated. Through the optimization of printing parameters, BaTiO3 ceramics with a high relative density of 95 % and few defects are obtained. Notably, the sintered BaTiO3 ceramics exhibit impressive properties, including a high piezoelectric coefficient d33 of 201 pC/N and strong ferroelectric characteristics with a maximum polarization Pmax of 31.4 μC/cm2 and residual polarization Pr of 18.5 μC/cm2. More importantly, a series of complex BaTiO3 structures including the body-centered cubic lattice and triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) structures are created perfectly with the feature size as fine as 75 μm. Compared with other reported BaTiO3 structures printed by vat photopolymerization and material extrusion technologies, this work realizes a much higher printing resolution. The excellent performance and high precision of these BaTiO3 ceramics make them great potential for practical applications in piezoelectric components.

Thickness and temperature dependence performances for single crystal composites by different polarization conditions

Alternating current polarization (ACP) has been demonstrated to enhance the performance of 1-3 piezoelectric single crystal composites (PSCCs), compared to direct current polarization (DCP). However, the scaling effect and temperature stability of PSCCs under different polarization modes, which are of significance to practical applications, have rarely been studied. Here, we compared and analyzed the thickness and temperature-dependent properties of PSCCs under ACP and DCP. The results indicated that ACP PSCCs have improved piezoelectric, electromechanical coupling, and dielectric properties. There were scaling effects for PSCCs with thickness below 400 μm. Compared to high-thickness PSCCs, the piezoelectric coefficient (d33), free dielectric constant (ε33Tε0) as well as thickness electromechanical coupling factor (kt) of low-thickness samples were inferior and the corresponding performance enhancements under ACP were also relatively low. In contrast, the clamped dielectric constant (ε33Sε0) did not show significant thickness correlation. As for temperature stability, all performances of PSCCs improved with increase in temperature and the performance enhancement with temperature change was not dependent on the polarization conditions. This work provides reference significance of selecting appropriate polarization for PSCCs, thus benefiting the design and preparation for transducers.

Morphotropic phase boundary composition PNN-PZT ceramics and their outstanding electromechanical properties

xPb(Ni1/3Nb2/3)O3-(1-x)Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (x = 0.12, 0.24, 0.36, 0.42, 0.55 and 0.64) ceramics were prepared using conventional solid-state reaction. The morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) composition region, sintering characteristics and performance parameters of ceramic samples with different PNN compositions were studied. The phase structure, microstructure and electrical properties were characterized in detail. The results show that the Curie temperature (TC) of PNN-PZT ceramics decreases from 324 °C to 44 °C while the piezoelectric coefficient (d33) changes from 43 pC/N to 1170 pC/N with PNN content from 0.12 to 0.64. Interesting phenomena were observed, which can provide useful information for practical applications of PNN-PZT ceramics.

Narrow-Bandgap Tellurium-Based Chiral Hybrid Perovskite Single Crystals with Rashba-Dresselhaus Effect and Piezoelectricity.

Chiral hybrid perovskites have aroused great interest due to their unique versatile properties. However, designing chiral perovskites with narrow bandgaps is challenging, with their electronic properties such as the Rashba-Dresselhaus effect and piezoelectricity remaining unclear. Herein, single crystals of zero-dimensional (0D) tellurium-based chiral hybrid perovskite, (R-/S-α-PEA)2TeI6 and (R-/S-α-PEA)2TeBr6 (PEA = phenylethylammonium), with sizes of over 5 mm are grown by seed-crystal-assisted solution-temperature-lowering. The optical bandgaps are about 1.60 and 2.18 eV for the iodide and bromide analogues, respectively, which are the lowest among various chiral lead-free hybrid perovskites with the same halide ions in the X-site to the best of our knowledge. First-principles calculations reveal that (R-/S-α-PEA)2TeBr6 shows a larger Rashba-Dresselhaus spin-splitting than (R-/S-α-PEA)2TeI6, probably thanks to the greater distortion of [TeBr6] octahedra. Moreover, the piezoelectric coefficients d33 of (R-/S-α-PEA)2TeI6 and (R-/S-α-PEA)2TeBr6 are about 2.6 and 1.8 pC N-1, respectively. This work deepens the understanding of physical properties of 0D tellurium-based chiral perovskites with potential multifunctionality, including spintronic and piezoelectric performances.

Advanced 3D-printed PVDF/BT piezoelectric energy harvester with a bio-inspired 3D structure for a self-powered smart mouse

Piezoelectric polymers such as poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) exhibit remarkable flexibility, lightweight, durability, and biocompatibility compared to their ceramic counterparts. This unique characteristic makes them highly suitable for harvesting mechanical vibrations. However, conventional manufacturing methods mainly result in two-dimensional (2D) piezoelectric energy harvester (PEHs) structures. This confines the internal stress and, as a result, limits their potential voltage output. This study introduces an innovative bio-inspired three-dimensional (3D) structure crafted through fused deposition modeling (FDM). Barium titanate (BT) nanoparticles were added as piezoelectric fillers to improve the performance of the PEH. The obtained nanocomposite was poled under optimal poling conditions, achieving a β-phase fraction of 95,72 %, a piezoelectric charge coefficient (d33) of 28 pC/N, and a permittivity of 24.2 at 100 Hz. A parametric study was performed through numerical analysis, resulting in an effective and optimized structural configuration. The combined excellent piezoelectric properties of the nanocomposite with the optimized structure enabled the PEH to generate an open-circuit voltage of 30.8 V, enabling it to charge a commercial 1 μF capacitor to 25 V in just 260 s. The bioinspired PEH demonstrates its practical application by powering an innovative device known as the "smart mouse," showcasing its utility and potential in real-world applications.

Optimizing electromechanical properties of KNN-based piezoelectric ceramics through regulation of lattice distortion

With the rapid development of broadband transducers, there is an increasing demand for enhanced electromechanical properties in lead-free piezoelectric ceramics. In this study, the strategies to enhance the electrical properties of ceramics were explored by doping BaZrO3 into 0.96(K0.48Na0.52)Nb0.96Sb0.04O3-0.04(Bi0.5Ag0.5)ZrO3 ceramics, inducing lattice distortion (c/a) and regulating the phase structure. The ceramics doped with 1.5 mol% BaZrO3 demonstrate excellent electrical performance, with a piezoelectric coefficient (d33) of 545 pC/N, a relative dielectric constant (εr) of 4126, and an electromechanical coupling factor (kp) of 54.1 %. The reduced c/a ratio and rhombohedral-orthorhombic-tetragonal phase structure reduce the polarization energy barrier and promote the ordered arrangement of ferroelectric dipoles, thereby enhancing the comprehensive performance of the ceramics. Lastly, the electrical impedance of ceramics is studied in detail and reveals the main conduction mechanism in the microscopic region. This research provides new insights into optimizing the electrical properties of ceramics through microstructural manipulation and demonstrates the potential application of KNN-based ceramics in high performance piezoelectric transducers.

Boosting piezoelectric response and electric-field induced strain in PMN-PT relaxor ferroelectrics

High-performance piezoelectric materials are essential for diverse electromechanical devices, from actuators to sensors and transducers. Here, we synthesized Ce2O3-doped Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.29PbTiO3 (xCe-PMNT29) solid solutions via conventional solid-state methods. In the x = 2.5 % modified composition, we achieved a notable electrostrain-hysteresis trade-off, enhancing electrostrain (0.2 %), equivalent piezoelectric coefficient d33* (1701 pm V–1 at 3 kV cm–1), and reducing strain hysteresis to 8.1 %. Additionally, direct high-temperature piezoelectric characterizations revealed real-time variations in piezoelectric coefficient (d33) and the actual depolarization temperature, with d33 reaching 859 pC N−1 at 53 °C and planar electromechanical coupling coefficient (kp) exceeding 70 % within 30−85 °C. Leveraging x-ray diffraction (XRD) and piezoelectric force microscopy (PFM), we elucidated synergistic effects between complex nanodomains and local structural heterogeneity, enhancing piezoelectric activity. This study presents a promising approach for improving electromechanical performance and electrostrain in ferroelectrics, with significant potential for practical piezoelectric applications.

94‐3: 60 kHz Ultrasonic Actuators for Animal‐Friendly Haptic Displays

Enhanced piezoelectric coefficient (d33) and mechanical quality factor (Qm) are prerequisite for high performance of resonant piezoelectric applications (e.g., ultrasound haptic displays). We present high performance piezoelectric actuators with a resonant frequency above 60 kHz beyond audible ranges for animals. The ultrasonic actuators provide sufficient tactile feedback with a high vibration displacement, which is superior to that of many state‐of‐the‐art commercial actuators without any visible damages in plastic organic light‐emitting diode (POLED) displays. Furthermore, the actuators can be assembled into an ultrasound loudspeaker, which could facilitate the directional private sound for high‐end automotive applications.

Improved piezoelectric and photoluminescence properties in Ce-doped PSN-PMN-PT piezoelectric ceramics by multiscale coordination

The large piezoelectric coefficient (d33) and high mechanical quality factor (Qm) are essential for piezoelectric ceramics used in high-power devices. It is pity that the two parameters are usually opposite, with higher d33 corresponding to lower Qm. In order to well-balance the d33 and Qm, the rare-earth element Ce with multi-valence was introduced into the 0.06 Pb(Sc1/2Nb1/2)O3-0.61 Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.33PbTiO3 (xCe-PSN-PMN-PT) ceramics in this work. The structure, electrical properties and optical properties of ceramics were systematically analyzed. Optimal electrical performances (d33 = 719 pC/N, Qm = 256, and dielectric loss tanδ = 0.007) were obtained in 0.02Ce-PSN-PMN-PT ceramics. These excellent performances originate from the multiscale coordination effects among defect dipoles, local structural heterogeneity, domain structure, phase structure, and grain size. The xCe-PSN-PMN-PT ceramics exhibit excellent photoluminescence properties in the blue wavelength range. Our research provides a new paradigm for deep-sea electro-optical communication.

Doping effects and role conversion of CeO2 in 0.3PZN–0.7PZT ternary piezoelectric ceramics with enhanced electrical properties

In this work, the rare-earth doped ternary lead zirconate titanate ceramics with chemical formula of [0.3Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3–0.7Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3] + x wt% CeO2 (x=0–0.5, abbreviated as 0.3PZN–0.7PZT–xCe) were synthesized by a conventional solid-state reaction route, specific attentions was focused on the effects of CeO2 dopants on the structures and electrical properties of the 0.3PZN–0.7PZT ceramics, revealing the role conversion of CeO2 dopants with its doping amount (x). When less CeO2 (x≤0.2) is introduced into 0.3PZN–0.7PZT, the prepared ceramics are identified as the coexistence of rhombohedral and tetragonal phases, also involved with an increased grain size and a reduced atomic ratio of Pb/(Zr+Ti+Zn+Nb). The increased remanent polarization (Pr) and deceased coercive filed (Ec), as well as improved dielectric permittivity (εr) and piezoelectric coefficient (d33) demonstrate the donor substitution of Ce3+ for Pb2+ at the A-site of perovskite lattice. Conversely, the introduction of excessive CeO2 (x>0.2) causes a reversal evolution in the electrical properties of ceramics, suggesting that some of the introduced cerium element tends to become Ce4+, which equivalently substitutes for Zr4+ at the B-site. Additionally, the diffused phase transition (DPT) behaviors of the 0.3PZN–0.7PZT–xCe ceramics were investigated by the modified Curie–Weiss Law. The sample with x=0.2 shows reduced DPT character and optimized electrical properties, including TC=297 °C, εr=1400, d33=480 pC/N, tanδ=1.6%, kp=65%, d33×g33=16.32×10–12 m2/N, Pr=38.3 μC/cm2 and Ec=1.02 kV/mm. These enhanced electrical properties not only are contributed by the donor substitution effect of Ce3+, but also benefit from the optimized morphotropic phase boundary that is close to the tetragonal-rich side.