Edinburgh Napier University

  With the environment and climate degrading, it is critical to accelerate the development of reliable energy storage equipment to enable the continued use of renewable energy. Dielectric capacitors are a type of energy storage device that is extremely dependable. Dielectric capacitors have become critical components of smart grid frequency modulation and power electronics, and have broad application prospects in electric vehicles, wearable electronics, and other fields. Hence, it is vital to improving the energy storage capacity of dielectric capacitors, particularly their energy density.

In addition, although lead-based dielectric capacitors are commercially available, the development of lead-free ceramic devices is urgent due to lead's toxicity and environmental contamination associated with its production. Silver niobate-based ceramic materials exhibit superior energy storage properties and are well suited for usage as dielectric capacitors as an alternative for lead-based materials.

The goal of this research is to develop lead-free AgNbO3-based ceramics for dielectric energy storage capacitors. This work has significant academic value in the realm of lead-free antiferroelectric materials and is informative in terms of the development of lead-free energy storage materials. This research will also significantly contribute to the miniaturisation and weight reduction of capacitors, thereby increasing energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions.