An overview of the flexoelectric phenomenon, potential applications, and proposals for further research directions

Materials are of prime importance for designing and manufacturing structures and components in numerous industries, including aviation, aerospace, military, automotive, machine construction, electronics, and telecommunications, among others. Throughout the industrial transformations in human history, it is evident that the materials industry had the most significant impact on scientific and technological progress. In recent years, the Fourth Industrial Revolution has altered the infrastructure and character of production in a number of global industries. Materials science has been contributing a significant and essential role in the global competitiveness of all industries, particularly those utilizing electronic domains such as semiconductors, microprocessors, and sensors for industrial and social applications. Consequently, nanoscale materials with exceptional properties have garnered the interest of numerous researchers. One of these phenomena in dielectric materials is flexoelectricity. This phenomenon was discovered in the 1950s of the previous century, but it wasn't until the early 2000s, when materials science and other disciplines flourished, that many researchers began to focus on it. In recent years, the applicability of flexoelectric materials has increased across all disciplines. In addition, as a consequence of the importance of novel electrical materials to the flexoelectric effect, the research problem for this material broadly and the analysis of the mechanical responses of flexoelectric structures are being investigated and developed at a rapid rate. This paper provides an overview of the flexoelectric phenomenon, together with potential applications and recommendations for further study. The article’s content will serve as a valuable resource for scientists interested in dielectric materials with unique electromechanical effects, which are extensively used in contemporary electronic disciplines. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.