Water printing of ferroelectric polarization

• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06369-w
• Publication Date: 2018-09-12T15:54:17Z
• Authors: Yu Tian; Lanying Wei; Qinghua Zhang; Houbing Huang; Yuelin Zhang; Hua Zhou; Fengjie Ma; Lin Gu; Sheng Meng; Long-Qing Chen; Ce-Wen Nan; Jinxing Zhang
• Keywords: Piezoresponse force microscopy; Chemical energy; Chemical species

Ferroelectrics, which generate a switchable electric field across the solid-liquid interface, may provide platform to control chemical reactions (physical properties) using physical fields (chemical stimuli). However, it is challenging in-situ such polarization-induced interfacial structure and field. Here, we report that construction of bonds at surface ferroelectric BiFeO3 in aqueous solution leads reversible bulk polarization switching. Combining piezoresponse (electrostatic) force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning transmission electron first-principles calculations phase-field simulations, discover switching ascribed sufficient formation polarization-selective its surface, decreases energy. Therefore, electrostatic energy can be effectively tuned by H+/OH- concentration. This water-induced allows us construct large-scale type-printing green opens up new opportunities for sensing, high-efficient catalysis, data storage.