Flexoelectricity: A Perspective on an Unusual Electromechanical Coupling

Abstract

The ability of certain materials to convert electrical stimuli into mechanical deformation, and vice versa, is a prized property. Not surprisingly, applications of such so-called piezoelectric materials are broad—ranging from energy harvesting to self-powered sensors. In this perspective, written in the form of question-answers, we highlight a relatively understudied electromechanical coupling called flexoelectricity that appears to have tantalizing implications in topics ranging from biophysics to the design of next-generation multifunctional nanomaterials.