biostudies-literatureLuo NNatural Science Foundation of Guangxi Province (Guangxi Natural Science Foundation)National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)1776https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC10063644biostudies-literatureUnknown14(1)Antiferroelectrics (AFEs) are promising candidates in energy-storage capacitors, electrocaloric solid-cooling, and displacement transducers. As an actively studied lead-free antiferroelectric (AFE) material, NaNbO₃ has long suffered from its ferroelectric (FE)-like polarization-electric field (P-E) hysteresis loops with high remnant polarization and large hysteresis. Guided by theoretical calculations, a new strategy of reducing the oxygen octahedral tilting angle is proposed to stabilize the AFE P phase (Space group Pbma) of NaNbO₃. To validate this, we judiciously introduced CaHfO₃ with a low Goldschmidt tolerance factor and AgNbO₃ with a low electronegativity difference into NaNbO₃, the decreased cation displacements and [BO<sub>6</Nature communicationsWell-defined double hysteresis loop in NaNbO₃ antiferroelectrics.PMC10063644520720802022GXNSFFA035034Li JFMa LZhu YHong JLuo GXu CZhang SLuo NChen ZCen ZToyohisa FChen XRao LFeng QfalseWell-defined double hysteresis loop in NaNbO₃ antiferroelectrics.Antiferroelectrics (AFEs) are promising candidates in energy-storage capacitors, electrocaloric solid-cooling, and displacement transducers. As an actively studied lead-free antiferroelectric (AFE) material, NaNbO₃ has long suffered from its ferroelectric (FE)-like polarization-electric field (P-E) hysteresis loops with high remnant polarization and large hysteresis. Guided by theoretical calculations, a new strategy of reducing the oxygen octahedral tilting angle is proposed to stabilize the AFE P phase (Space group Pbma) of NaNbO₃. To validate this, we judiciously introduced CaHfO₃ with a low Goldschmidt tolerance factor and AgNbO₃ with a low electronegativity difference into NaNbO₃, the decreased cation displacements and [BO<sub>6</2023-01-01T00:00:00Z2023 Mar2025-04-19T00:01:50.234Z2025-04-07T11:18:01.806ZS-EPMC100636443699755210.1038/s41467-023-37469-x