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Advanced Design and Synthesis in Piezoelectric Smart Materials

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Smart Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2025 | Viewed by 1003

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials (Ministry of Education), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
Interests: triboelectric; piezoelectric; piezo-ionic-electric; nanogenerator
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue on "Advanced Design and Synthesis in Piezoelectric Smart Materials" aims to explore the latest advancements in the field of piezoelectric materials, with a focus on innovative design strategies and synthesis techniques. Piezoelectric materials, which convert mechanical stress into electrical energy and vice versa, have garnered significant attention due to their wide range of applications in sensors, actuators, and energy harvesting devices. This Special Issue seeks to highlight cutting-edge research that pushes the boundaries of piezoelectric material development, including the exploration of new material compositions, advanced synthesis methods, and enhanced performance optimization. We invite contributions that delve into the fundamental principles, experimental approaches, and practical applications of piezoelectric smart materials. Full papers, communications, and reviews that address these themes are warmly welcomed. Together, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state and future directions of piezoelectric smart materials research.

Dr. Long Jin
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • piezoelectric ceramics
  • piezoelectric polymers
  • piezoelectric composites
  • structure design
  • material synthesis
  • sensors
  • actuators
  • energy harvesting

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

25 pages, 7687 KiB  
Article
A Piezoelectric-Actuated Variable Stiffness Miniature Rotary Joint
by Yifan Lu, Yifei Yang, Xiangyu Ma, Ce Chen, Tong Qin, Honghao Yue and Siqi Ma
Materials 2025, 18(14), 3289; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18143289 - 11 Jul 2025
Viewed by 358
Abstract
With the acceleration of industrialization, deformable mechanisms that can adapt to complex environments have gained widespread applications. Joints serve as carriers for transmitting forces and motions between components, and their stiffness significantly influences the static and dynamic characteristics of deformable mechanisms. A variable [...] Read more.
With the acceleration of industrialization, deformable mechanisms that can adapt to complex environments have gained widespread applications. Joints serve as carriers for transmitting forces and motions between components, and their stiffness significantly influences the static and dynamic characteristics of deformable mechanisms. A variable stiffness joint is crucial for ensuring the safety and reliability of the system, as well as for enhancing environmental adaptability. However, existing variable stiffness joints fail to meet the requirements for miniaturization, lightweight construction, and fast response. This paper proposes a piezoelectric-actuated variable stiffness miniature rotary joint featuring a compact structure, monitorable loading state, and rapid response. Given that the piezoelectric stack expands and contracts when energized, this paper proposes a transmission principle for stiffness adjustment by varying the pressure and friction between active and passive components. This joint utilizes a flexible hinge mechanism for displacement amplification and incorporates a torque sensor based on strain monitoring. A static model is developed based on piezoelectric equations and displacement amplification characteristics, and simulations confirm the feasibility of the stiffness adjustment scheme. The mechanical characteristics of various flexible hinge structures are analyzed, and the effects of piezoelectric actuation capability and external load on stiffness adjustment are examined. The experimental results demonstrate that the joint can adjust stiffness, and the sensor is calibrated using the least squares algorithm to monitor the stress state of the joint in real time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Design and Synthesis in Piezoelectric Smart Materials)
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27 pages, 21199 KiB  
Article
Research on the Performance Laws of the Piezoelectric Beam and Magnetic Coupling Module of the Magnetic-Coupled Double-Wing Negative Stiffness Energy Harvester
by Jie Yang and Yingchun Chen
Materials 2025, 18(7), 1503; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18071503 - 27 Mar 2025
Viewed by 392
Abstract
With the rapid development of urban rail transit, the floating slab vibration isolation system has become widely used in the field due to its effective vibration reduction and isolation capabilities. Traditional floating slab vibration-isolation systems mainly focus on blocking vibration transmission, neglecting energy [...] Read more.
With the rapid development of urban rail transit, the floating slab vibration isolation system has become widely used in the field due to its effective vibration reduction and isolation capabilities. Traditional floating slab vibration-isolation systems mainly focus on blocking vibration transmission, neglecting energy harvesting. This paper proposes a magnetic-coupled double-wing negative stiffness energy harvester for floating slabs. A single-wing piezoelectric beam model and a finite element model of the magnetic-coupled module are established. The modal and output characteristics of the single-wing piezoelectric beam are analyzed. Furthermore, the force characteristics of the magnetically coupled negative stiffness module are analyzed. The results show that the contribution of its width to the modal frequency gradually decreases with an increase in the length of the single-wing piezoelectric beam. The thickness significantly influences the characteristic frequency, and the load is exponentially related to the output power. At the optimal load and characteristic frequency of the single-wing piezoelectric beam, the output characteristics decrease with an increase in the width. The peak value of the magnetic-coupled negative stiffness gradually decreases with an increase in the magnetic gap. The increase in remanent magnetic strength indicates that the initial state of the magnetic ring is more easily affected by external conditions. The change in axial magnetic force becomes significant with increased displacement. This research enriches the theoretical systems of piezoelectric energy harvesting technology and magnetic-coupled negative stiffness mechanism while providing important theoretical support for subsequent experimental research, optimal design, and practical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Design and Synthesis in Piezoelectric Smart Materials)
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