Simultaneous enhancement of operating temperature range and adiabatic temperature change in the electrocaloric effect of (1-x)PST-xPT ceramics

The electrocaloric effect (ECE) is an emerging green refrigeration technology that demonstrates significant potential for solid-state cooling applications due to its high energy efficiency and environmental friendliness. Pb(Sc 0.5 Ta 0.5 )O 3 (PST) ceramics exhibit excellent electrocaloric effect performance at room temperature, but its phase transition range is relatively narrow. Therefore, achieving a broad operating temperature range ( T span ) while maintaining a high adiabatic temperature change (Δ T ) remains challenging. In this work, the ECE performance of PST ceramics is enhanced across a wide temperature range from 30 °C to 150 °C via a compositionally-induced disorder transition strategy by preparing (1- x )Pb(Sc 0.5 Ta 0.5 )O 3 - x PbTiO 3 ( x  = 0.00, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, and 0.20). The optimal composition ( x  = 0.10) exhibits a maximum Δ T of 2.34 K and maintains Δ T  > 1.38 K over a broad temperature range from 30 °C to 150 °C. Meanwhile, the T span (Δ T  > 80 % Δ T max ) increased from 33 K ( x  = 0.00) to 66 K ( x  = 0.10). This outstanding electrocaloric performance positions it as a promising candidate for practical applications from room temperature to elevated temperatures, contributing to the advancement of next-generation solid-state refrigeration technology.