Giant dielectric response, nonlinear characteristics, and humidity sensing properties of a novel perovskite: Na1/3Sr1/3Tb1/3Cu3Ti4O12

Sirion Srilarueang; Bundit Putasaeng; Kaniknun Sreejivungsa; Noppakorn Thanamoon; Prasit Thongbai

doi:10.1039/d3ra06162k

Giant dielectric response, nonlinear characteristics, and humidity sensing properties of a novel perovskite: Na_1/3Sr_1/3Tb_1/3Cu₃Ti₄O₁₂

RSC Adv. 2023 Oct 10;13(42):29706-29720. doi: 10.1039/d3ra06162k. eCollection 2023 Oct 4.

Authors

Sirion Srilarueang¹, Bundit Putasaeng², Kaniknun Sreejivungsa^{1

3}, Noppakorn Thanamoon^{1

2}, Prasit Thongbai^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physics, Giant Dielectric and Computational Design Research Group (GD-CDR), Faculty of Science, Khon Kaen University Khon Kaen 40002 Thailand pthongbai@kku.ac.th.
² National Metal and Materials Technology Center 114 Thailand Science Park, Paholyothin Road, Klong 1, Khlong Luang Pathumthani 12120 Thailand.
³ Institute of Nanomaterials Research and Innovation for Energy (IN-RIE), Khon Kaen University Khon Kaen 40002 Thailand.

Abstract

In this study, we unveil a novel perovskite compound, Na_1/3Sr_1/3Tb_1/3Cu₃Ti₄O₁₂, synthesized through a solid-state reaction method, exhibiting remarkable giant dielectric response, nonlinear characteristics, and humidity sensing capabilities. This research highlights the emergence of a Cu-rich phase, the properties of which undergo significant alterations depending on the sintering conditions. The optimization of sintering parameters, encompassing a temperature range of 1040-1450 °C for 1-8 h, resulted in substantial dielectric permittivity (ε') values (∼2800-6000). The temperature dependence of ε' demonstrated relationship to the particular sintering conditions utilized. The acquired loss tangent values were situated within encouraging values, ranging from 0.06 to 0.16 at 1 kHz. Furthermore, the material revealed distinct nonlinear electrical characteristics at 25 °C, with the nonlinear coefficient values of 5-127, depending on ceramic microstructures. Additionally, we delved deeply into the humidity-sensing properties of the Na_1/3Sr_1/3Tb_1/3Cu₃Ti₄O₁₂ material, showing a considerable variation in ε' in response to fluctuations in relative humidity, thereby indicating its prospective application in humidity sensing technologies. The hysteresis error and response/recovery times were calculated, highlighting the versatility of this compound and its promising potential across multiple applications. The Na_1/3Sr_1/3Tb_1/3Cu₃Ti₄O₁₂ not only shows remarkable giant dielectric responses but also portrays significant promise for nonlinear and humidity sensing applications, marking it as a significant participant in the advancement of perovskite-based functional materials.