One-Dimensional Piezoelectric BaTiO₃ Polycrystal of Topochemical Mesocrystal Conversion from Layered H₂Ti₄O₉·H₂O Single Crystal

A one-dimensional (1D) piezoelectric BaTiO₃(BT) polycrystal with a tetragonal system was controllably prepared using a one-step hydrothermal soft chemical process. A layered H₂Ti₄O₉­·H₂O (HTO) single crystal was used as the precursor. Interestingly, the obtained polycrystalline BT constructed from oriented BT nanoparticles shows a set of single-crystalline diffraction points, implying that the BT polycrystal is a mesocrystal. The [010] and [001] directions of the obtained mesocrystalline BT correspond to the [001] and [010] directions of the original HTO crystal, respectively, and the [010] direction of the mesocrystalline BT corresponds to the direction along the length of a 1D rod matrix. An in situ topochemical mesocrystal conversion of mesocrystalline BT grown on the HTO substrate occurred not only on the substrate surface but also in the interlayers owing to the unique TiO₆ octahedral layers of HTO. In addition, the piezoelectric response of the 1D mesocrystal was captured for the first time. The piezoelectric property of BT mesocrystals hinges on its nanostructure. It is a challenge to develop a special process to prepare highly 1D anisotropic perovskite titanate polycrystals with high crystallinity and piezoelectric response. This novel strategy can be utilized to develop piezoelectric mesocrystalline materials.