Ferroelectricity in biological system has been anticipated both theoretically and experimentally over the past few decades. Claims of ferroelectricity in biological systems have given rise to confusion and methodological controversy. Over the years, a “loop” of induced polarization in response to a varying applied electrical field and a consequent polarization reversal has prompted many researchers to claim ferroelectricity in biological structures and their building blocks. Other observers were skeptical about the methodology adopted in generating the data and questioned the validity of the claimed ferroelectricity as such, “loop” can also be obtained from linear capacitors. In a paper with somewhat tongue-in-cheek title, Jim Scott showed that ordinary banana peels could exhibit closed loops of electrical charge which closely resemble and thus could be misinterpreted as ferroelectric hysteresis loops in barium sodium niobate, BNN paraphrasing it as “banana”. In this paper, we critically review ferroelectricity in biological system and argue that knowing the molecular and crystalline structure of biological building blocks and experimenting on such building blocks may be the way forward in revealing the “true” nature of ferroelectricity in biological systems.

为了防止声表面波器件被自身的热释电静电烧伤, 提出了一种新的静电防护方法。该方法采用导电介质来实现对声表面波器件引脚的良好接触,并建立了静电传导途径, 实现了热释电静电的释放, 解决了困扰声表面波器件的静电敏感问题。试验结果表明, 该方法能有效预防静电烧伤, 具有很好的实用性。

研究了利用弛豫型铁电三元聚合物薄膜P(VDF-TrFE-CFE)的热释电性质,以温度波动作为初始能量形式进行热电能量的采集。由于该聚合物薄膜在发生由温度变化诱导的纳米极性区极化机制转换时,介电常数表现出明显的非线性变化,所以可以结合Ericsson循环实现热电能量采集。实验结果显示,最佳能量采集温度区间为20~ -20 ℃,利用不同温度下的单极性电滞回线进行Ericsson循环模拟,两种模拟方式分别实现能量采集最大值和最小值,并从微观角度给出了两种模式的解释。同时研究了温度波动和外加电场对能量采集的影响。在外加电场100 kV·mm-1、温度波动为40 ℃的情况下,能量采集值达到3 483 mJ·cm-3。与单晶材料相比,能量采集值提高了10倍。当工作温度降低至室温时,材料具有柔性,在能量采集方面具有应用潜力。

采用脉冲激光沉积的方法,在Pt/SiO2/Si衬底上制备了掺Ca的(Pb,La)TiO3薄膜。薄膜呈多晶结构,具有较好的铁电性和热释电性。由于掺Ca的作用,使薄膜的材料探测优值和电压响应优值几乎与单晶MgO衬底上的c轴取向的PbTiO3或(Ph,La)TiO3薄膜相比拟。这些较好的实验结果是在硅基衬底上的铁电薄膜中获得的,因而对研制单片集成的红外热释电阵列将有一定的意义。