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Piezoelectric poly-L-lactide (PLLA) is a biodegradable polymer used in various biomedical applications. However, tailoring and controlling the structure of PLLA to enhance its piezoelectric response remains a challenge. In this work, extensive characterization was performed to reveal the effect of the reduced graphene oxide (rGO) content (0.2, 0.7, and 1.0 wt%) on the morphology, structure, thermal and piezoelectric behavior of PLLA scaffolds. Randomly oriented homogeneous fibers and a quasi-amorphous structure for pure PLLA and hybrid PLLA-rGO scaffolds were revealed. The addition of rGO affected the molecular structure of the PLLA scaffolds: for example, the number of polar C=O functional groups was increased. Increasing the content of rGO to 1 wt% resulted in decreased glass transition and melting temperatures and increased the degree of crystallinity of the scaffolds. The addition of 0.2 wt% rGO enhanced the effective local vertical and lateral piezoresponses by 2.3 and 15.4 times, respectively, in comparison with pure PLLA fibers. The presence of the shear piezoelectric alpha-phase (P2(1)2(1)2(1)) in uniaxially oriented PLLA fibers and C=O bond rotation in the polymer chains explained the observed piezoresponse. Thus, this study revealed routes to prepare hybrid biodegradable scaffolds with enhanced piezoresponse for tissue engineering applications.

Multilayered phosphate bonded CoFe2O4–BaTiO3–CoFe2O4 (CBC) and BaTiO3–CoFe2O4–BaTiO3 (BCB) multiferroic structures were formed by means of uniaxial pressing. The dielectric properties were studied in 20 Hz – 1 GHz frequency and 120–500 K temperature ranges. The complex dielectric permittivity is 15–0.17i for CBC and 22–0.04i for BCB, it is temperature- and frequency-independent below 250 K. At higher temperatures, strong dispersion appeared governed by the Maxwell–Wagner relaxation. Such behaviour is determined by the 2–2 connectivity of the sample. The highest direct magnetoelectric coupling coefficient was found for the BaTiO3–CoFe2O4–BaTiO3 structure of 0.2 mVOe–1cm–1.

We have studied the crystal structure and dielectric and local piezoelectric properties of (Na0.5Bi0.5)(Ti1–xMnx)O3 (x = 0–0.1) modified sodium bismuth titanate-based ceramics and observed the formation of a pseudocubic phase with the perovskite structure. Its unit-cell volume first decreases and then, for x ≥ 0.05, increases. The ceramics undergo phase transitions, which show up as anomalies in their dielectric permittivity near ~450 K and peaks at a Curie temperature of ~600 K. As x increases to 0.04, their Curie temperature decreases by 40 K. The phase transitions near 450 K exhibit well-defined relaxor behavior due to the presence of polar regions in the nonpolar matrix. The samples with x < 0.05 have been shown to have an increased room-temperature dielectric permittivity, which correlates with the increased effective piezoelectric coefficient, suggesting that doping with manganese has an advantageous effect on the functional properties of sodium bismuth titanate ceramics.

Lead iron niobate, Pb(Fe0.5Nb0.5)O3 (PFN), belongs to the family of multiferroic materials combining ferroelectric and antiferromagnetic ordering. Its properties to a large extent depend on the synthesis conditions. For applications it is important to obtain materials with large polarization and low electric leakage. In this paper we investigate the effect of processing parameters on the structural, electrical and magnetic behaviour of PFN ceramics prepared by the solid state method. The optimal calcination and sintering temperatures are found, which enable us to obtain ceramics with a large polarization Pmax = 28 μC/cm2 and dielectric permittivity eMax ≈ 55 000. We also find that increasing the calcination and sintering temperatures decreases diffuseness of the ferroelectric phase transition and shifts the Neel temperature to lower values, which might be due to a change of the distribution of Fe3+ and Nb5+ across the B-sites of the perovskite towards a more ordered structure.

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The escalated photocatalytic (PC) efficiency of the visible light absorber Ba-doped BiFe0.95Mn0.05O3 (BFM) nanoparticles (NPs) as compared to BiFeO3 (BFO) NPs is reported for the degradation of the organic pollutants rhodamine B and methyl orange. 1 mol% Ba-doped-BFM NPs degrade both dyes within 60 and 25 minutes under UV + visible illumination, respectively. The Ba and Mn co-doping up to 5 mol% in BFO NPs increases the specific surface area, energy of d–d transitions, and PC efficiency of the BFO NPs. The maximum PC efficiency found in 1 mol% Ba doped BFM NPs is attributed to a cooperative effect of factors like its increased light absorption ability, large surface area, active surface, reduced recombination of charge carriers, and spontaneous polarization to induce charge carrier separation. The 1 mol% Ba and 5 mol% Mn co-incorporation is found to be the optimum dopant concentration for photocatalytic applications. These properties of co-doped BFO NPs can, e.g., be exploited in the field of water splitting.

BaTi1-xZrxO3 nanoparticles (x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2) were successfully produced by the spray-flame synthesis method. The as-synthesized powders are characterized by small (~10 nm) particle sizes as shown by TEM images. The as-synthesized powders were pre-heated at 800 °C to remove organic residuals from the surface. Pellets were then pressed and sintered at 1100 °C for 3 h. XRD measurements of the sintered materials show that the crystallite size decreases with increasing Zr concentration, which was additionally confirmed by TEM. Dielectric measurements show that the Curie temperature shifts towards lower temperatures with increasing Zr concentration accompanied by a decrease in the dielectric permittivity values which is attributed to a decreasing crystallite/particle size. In addition, a frequency dispersion of the permittivity values is discovered. This is mostly ascribed to Maxwell-Wagner polarization effects typical for nanograined ceramics.

Polymer materials are actively used in dielectric capacitors, in particular for energy storage applications. An enhancement of the stored energy density can be achieved in composites of electroactive polymers and dielectric inorganic fillers with a high dielectric permittivity. In this article, we report on the energy storage characteristics of composites of relaxor terpolymer P(VDF-TrFE-CFE) and BaZr0.2Ti0.8O3 (BZT) nanoparticles. The choice of materials was dictated by their large dielectric permittivity in the vicinity of room temperature. Free-standing composite films, with BZT contents up to 5 vol.%, were prepared by solution casting. The dielectric properties of the composites were investigated over a wide range of frequencies and temperatures. It was shown that the addition of the BZT nanoparticles does not affect the relaxor behavior of the polymer matrix, but significantly increases the dielectric permittivity. The energy storage parameters were estimated from the analysis of the unipolar polarization hysteresis loops. The addition of the BZT filler resulted in the increasing discharge energy density. The best results were achieved for composites with 1.25–2.5 vol.% of BZT. In the range of electric fields to 150 MV/m, the obtained materials demonstrate a superior energy storage density compared to other P(VDF-TFE-CFE) based composites reported in the literature.

Multiferroics, showing the coexistence of two or more ferroic orderings at room temperature, could harness a revolution in multifunctional devices. However, most of the multiferroic compounds known to date are not magnetically and electrically ordered at ambient conditions, so the discovery of new materials is pivotal to allow the development of the field. In this work, we show that BaFe

Polymer materials are actively used in dielectric capacitors, in particular for energy storage applications. An enhancement of the stored energy density can be achieved in composites of electroactive polymers and dielectric inorganic fillers with a high dielectric permittivity. In this article, we report on the energy storage characteristics of composites of relaxor terpolymer P(VDF-TrFE-CFE) and BaZr

Isolated nonmagnetic substitutional defect ions experience huge coupled electric magnetic interaction in the single-phase multiferroic BiFeO3. In the ferroelectric state above the magnetic Néel temperature TN, the electric environment generates a single symmetric electric field gradient (EFG) parallel to the electric polarization direction. Below TN, a distinct magnetic interaction arises, monitored by the probe nuclei via their magnetic moment. Two magnetic environments arise, given by the relative angle of the local magnetic moment within its easy magnetic plane with respect to the EFG orientation. The angle between field gradient orientation and magnetic field direction is the most stable fitting parameter. The magnetic interaction concomitantly increases the EFG dramatically which reflects an outstandingly large local magnetoelectric coupling. In the set of best fits, two different electric environments form concurrently with two distinctly different local magnetic fields. The magnetic ordering in BiFeO3 thus completely distorts the electric environment of the nonmagnetic probe nucleus. The implications for the local effect of dopants in BiFeO3 are discussed. A third probe environment arising independent of temperature is identified and associated with an iron vacancy., Physical Review B, 105 (9), ISSN:1098-0121, ISSN:0163-1829, ISSN:1550-235X, ISSN:0556-2805, ISSN:2469-9969, ISSN:1095-3795, ISSN:2469-9950

More than a decade of active electrocaloric (EC) material research has produced several EC materials that exhibit a giant electrocaloric effect (ECE) at high electric fields, which is assured by direct measurement. These EC materials have enabled the demonstration of EC cooling devices, which exhibit temperature lifts of more than 10 K. These research and development efforts have revealed the critical importance of electrical breakdown, which is common in all electric and dielectric materials and devices under high voltages and electric fields. In general, the electric field for reliable device operation of dielectrics has to be less than 25% of the typical electric breakdown strength. To realize EC cooling devices with competitive performance requires advanced EC materials that generate large ECE (Δ T > 5 K) under these low electric fields. Double-bond (DB) defect modified P(VDF-TrFE-CFE) relaxor polymers, as reported recently, generate large ECE under low electric fields without any fatigue effects even after 1 × 106 field cycles. These relaxor ferroelectrics promise to meet the application challenge. A closely coupled experimental and theoretical study of EC materials will undoubtedly lead to advanced EC materials that generate large ECE at low electric fields beyond the DB modified relaxor polymers. This will result in practical and high-performance EC coolers, which are environmentally benign, compressor-free, and highly efficient.

Domain walls and phase boundaries are fundamental ingredients of ferroelectrics and strongly influence their functional properties. Although both interfaces have been studied for decades, often only a phenomenological macroscopic understanding has been established. The recent developments in experiments and theory allow to address the relevant time and length scales and revisit nucleation, phase propagation and the coupling of domains and phase transitions. This review attempts to specify regularities of domain formation and evolution at ferroelectric transitions and give an overview on unusual polar topological structures that appear as transient states and at the nanoscale. We survey the benefits, validity, and limitations of experimental tools as well as simulation methods to study phase and domain interfaces. We focus on the recent success of these tools in joint scale-bridging studies to solve long lasting puzzles in the field and give an outlook on recent trends in superlattices.

This is the first comprehensive study of the impact of biodegradation on the structure, surface potential, mechanical and piezoelectric properties of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) scaffolds supplemented with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as well as cell behavior under static and dynamic mechanical conditions. There was no effect of the rGO addition up to 1.0 wt% on the rate of enzymatic biodegradation of PHB scaffolds for 30 days. The biodegradation of scaffolds led to the depolymerization of the amorphous phase, resulting in an increase in the degree of crystallinity. Because of more regular dipole order in the crystalline phase, surface potential of all fibers increased after the biodegradation, with a maximum (361 ± 5 mV) after the addition of 1 wt% rGO into PHB as compared to pristine PHB fibers. By contrast, PHB-0.7rGO fibers manifested the strongest effective vertical (0.59 ± 0.03 pm/V) and lateral (1.06 ± 0.02 pm/V) piezoresponse owing to greater presence of electroactive β-phase. In vitro assays involving primary human fibroblasts revealed equal biocompatibility and faster cell proliferation on PHB-0.7rGO scaffolds compared to pure PHB and nonpiezoelectric polycaprolactone scaffolds. Thus, the developed biodegradable PHB-rGO scaffolds with enhanced piezoresponse are promising for tissue-engineering applications. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Vats et al. (2016) reported a giant negative electrocaloric effect in multi-ferroic layers. The results were deduced using the polarization from partially switched polarization loops and the Maxwell relation on the electrocaloric effect. First of all, fundamentally, the change of these polarizations with temperature, as presented in their Fig. 5, has no relation with the electrocaloric effect and hence cannot be used to deduce the ECE using the Maxwell relation. Moreover, we are troubled by the data presented in their Fig. 6, which were, as claimed by authors, deduced from the polarization data in their Fig. 5 and the Maxwell relation. We find that the ECE results presented in their Fig. 6 have no direct relation with the polarization–temperature data in their Fig. 5.

Cesium-lead-bromide (CsPbBr3) is the simplest all inorganic halide perovskite. It serves as a reference material for understanding the exceptional solar cell properties of the organic-inorganic hybrid halide perovskites and is itself discussed as an alternative absorber material. Broadband dielectric spectroscopy has proven to yield an in depth understanding of charge screening mechanisms in the halide solar cell absorbers based on methylammonium and modifications hereof. For a deeper understanding of charge carrier screening, we have investigated CsPbBr(3)across wide temperature (120 K-450 K) and frequency ranges. Besides the two known phase transitions at 403 K and 361 K, the dielectric data show another anomaly around 220 K, which can be interpreted as another phase transition. XRD and EPR studies confirm the presence of this anomaly, but Raman scattering spectra do not show any lattice anomalies in the vicinity of 220 K. This additional anomaly is of first order character (different transition temperatures upon cooling and heating) but hardly influences the lattice dynamics. Our broadband dielectric investigations of CsPbBr(3)display the same microwave limit permittivity as for MAPbX(3)(epsilon(r)approximate to 30, X = Cl, Br, I, MA = CH3NH3+) but do not afford a second permittivity relaxation up to this frequency. Our prior assignment of the second contribution in the methylammonium compounds being due to the relaxation dynamics of the methylammonium ion as a dipole is herewith proven. Nevertheless, CsPbBr(3)shows large charge carrier screening up to very high frequencies which can still play a vital role in charge carrier dynamics and exciton behaviour in this material as well.

The escalated photocatalytic (PC) efficiency of the visible light absorber Ba-doped BiFe

Composites of electroactive polymers and ferroelectric nanoparticles are promising for energy storage and electrocaloric applications. In this paper we report on synthesis and electrocaloric properties of P(VDF-TrFE-CFE)/ BaZr0.20Ti0.80O3 nanocomposites. BaZr0.20Ti0.80O3 (BZT) nanoparticles were synthesized via the hydrothermal route. The P(VDF-TrFE-CFE)/BZT composite films with varying amount (1.25 vol.% to 5 vol.%) of the nanoparticles were prepared by the solution casting method. The nanocomposite films showed a significant increase in the dielectric permittivity with the amount of nanoparticles. An increase in the polarization as well as in hysteresis losses with the amount of nanoparticles was observed. The direct electrocaloric effect was measured using a custom built quasi-adiabatic calorimeter. The P(VDF-TrFE-CFE)/BZT nanocomposite film with 5 vol.% BZT showed an electrocaloric temperature change of ~ 1.8 K at room temperature and an electric field of 50 MV/m, which is comparable to literature values.

Lead iron tungstate ceramics were synthesized by the columbite method. Two compositions were prepared, one with the stoichiometric ratio and the second one with an additional 2 wt% PbO. To investigate the influence of the synthesis conditions on the physical properties, the compositions were calcined and sintered at different temperatures. Due to the excess PbO, the apparent dielectric permittivity and conductivity decreased. Higher calcination and sintering temperatures led to higher dielectric permittivity as well as higher conductivity values. For all samples, weak ferromagnetism was observed caused by local disorder on the B-site sublattice.

In this reply, we address the concerns that were raised about our paper on CsPbBr3 single crystals. M. Szafranski criticized the dielectric and DSC data in our original paper claiming that they were a ´ ffected by the experimental artefacts or poor quality of the investigated single crystals, as his DSC and dielectric data did not show any low temperature anomalies in CsPbBr3. We argue in this reply that our main conclusions were not made based on the DSC and dielectric experiments. Here, we emphasize the importance of other experiments like EPR and XRD that were performed to understand if there are any structural transformations of CsPbBr3 at low temperatures. We believe that M. Szafranski did not take ´ into account all the discussion that was presented in our original paper. We hope to clear the doubts in this reply. published

The electrocaloric effect (ECE) in dielectrics is characterized by the isothermal entropy change ΔS and adiabatic temperature change ΔT induced by changes of external electric fields. The Maxwell relation, which relates changes of polarization P with temperature T (pyroelectric coefficient) under a fixed electric field E to ΔS for finite intervals in E, provides a convenient way to deduce the ECE from polarization data P(T, E). Hence, this method, known as the indirect method, is widely used in ECE studies in ferroelectrics. Here, we first present the thermodynamic consideration for the Maxwell relation. We then use the indirect method and P(T, E) from bipolar and unipolar polarization curves to deduce the ECE in the normal ferroelectric phase of a P(VDF-TrFE) copolymer. The deduced ECE using the P(T, E) from bipolar polarization curves exhibits a giant negative ECE. In contrast, the directly measured ECE in the same polymer shows the weak and normal ECE. We discuss the constraints of the indirect method and its relation to the polarization–electric field curves measured in practical ferroelectric materials.

We report on temperature-dependent studies of ultrasonic and dielectric properties of (x)0.5(Ba0.7Ca0.3)Ti03–0.5Ba(Ti0.8Zr0.2)O3(BCZT)/(1 − x)NiFe2O4 (BCZT/NFO) composite multiferroics and their relationship to the magnetoelectric (ME) effect in these materials. The most decisive factor in the maximization of the ME effect is the strong elastic softening of the BCZT phase at the phase transition between its ferroelectric phases with orthorhombic and tetragonal symmetry. The proximity of this phase transition to room temperature makes the system promising for practical applications of the ME effect. The magnetostrictive phase does not play any direct role in the determination of the ME temperature dependence because of its weakly temperature-dependent mechanical properties.

The effect of modification (in the А and В sublattices) on the crystal structure parameters, microstructure, and dielectric and local piezoelectric properties of perovskite ceramics (1 – x)(K0.5Na0.5)NbO3–xLa(Ag0.5Sb0.5)O3 was studied. At increased concentration of the second component, the lattice volume and average grain diameter decreased, and the temperature of the polymorphic transition and Curie temperature lowered. The dielectric and effective piezoelectric properties of the samples were found to depend nonmonotonically on the composition, average grain diameter, and degree of texturing of the ceramics.

The temperature behavior of the crystal structure as well as dielectric and magnetic properties of the perovskite bismuth chromate ceramics with the 10 mol % Cr

Thin film Cu2ZnSnSe4 (CZTSe) solar cells can be grown on flexible and lightweight metal substrates allowing their direct integration on bendable surfaces and where the weight of solar cell is an important criterion. Flexible substrates make it possible to use the roll-to-roll technology of solar cells, which leads to an additional reduction in the cost of production and final cost of solar cells. The CZTSe thin films were fabricated by selenization of electrodeposited metallic precursors onto tantalum (Ta) flexible substrates at different temperature and time. The results of the effect of selenization temperature and time on the morphology, structural, and optical property of the CZTSe films are presented in this work. It was found that the morphology of the CZTSe thin films depend on their elemental composition and time of selenization. Experimental data indicate that composition of the CZTSe films selenized within 10 and 20 min at 560 °C have the CZTSe basic phase and secondary phases (CuSe, SnSe and ZnSe). In contrast, the increase in selenization temperature and/or time leads to disappearing of the secondary phases (CuSe, SnSe) and better crystallization of the CZTSe films. It was found that films selenized at 560 and 580 °C within the same time have similar characteristics. Depending on selenization time and temperature of the CZTSe, thin films exhibited a shift in band gap from 1.16 to 1.19 and to 1.22 eV, respectively. The change of band gap of the CZTSe thin films is associated with changes of elemental and phase compositions, and thickness of the film. These results showed that the received CZTSe films on Ta foil can be used for fabrication of thin film solar cells.

We consider a model of a nanocomposite based on non-interacting spherical single-domain ferroelectric nanoparticles of various sizes embedded in a dielectric matrix. The size distribution function of these nanoparticles is selected as a part of the Gaussian distribution from minimum to maximum radius (truncated normal distribution). For such nanocomposites, we calculate the dependences of the reversible part of the electric polarization, the electrocaloric temperature change, and the dielectric permittivity on the external electric field, which have the characteristic form of hysteresis loops. We then analyze the change in the shape of the hysteresis loops relative to the particle size distribution parameters. We demonstrate that for the same mean-square dispersion, the remanent polarization, coercive field, dielectric permittivity maximums, maximums and minimums of the electrocaloric temperature change depend most strongly on the most probable radius, moderately depend on the dispersion, and have the weakest dependency on the nanoparticle maximum radius. We calculated and analyzed the dependences of pyroelectric figures of merit on the average radius of the nanoparticles in the composite. The dependences confirm the presence of a phase transition induced by the size of the nanoparticles, which is characterized by the presence of a maxima near the critical average radius of the particles, the value of which increases with increasing dispersion of the distribution function., 25 pages, including 8 figures

The study of the electrocaloric effect in ensembles of ferroelectric nanoparticles is of significant interest for fundamental research and its practical applications in solidstate coolers. The exploration of electrocaloric cooling is of great importance to finding solutions to environmental and energyefficiency issues in currently available refrigeration technologies. In this work we calculated the polarization, electrocaloric temperature change, and dielectric permittivity of the nanocomposite containing non-interacting ferroelectric nanoparticles with different size distributions, and analyzed the dependences of polarization, dielectric permittivity and electrocaloric temperature change on the distribution function of the particles sizes. As anticipated, the properties of the nanocomposite approach that of the average size nanoparticles with a narrowing in the dispersion of particles sizes within the nanocomposite.

Below the Néel temperature, TN ∼ 220 K, at least two nano-scale antiferromagnetic (AFM) phases coexist in the polar polymorph of the BiFe0.5Sc0.5O3 perovskite; one of these phases is a weak ferromagnetic. Non-uniform structure distortions induced by high-pressure synthesis lead to competing AFM orders and a nano-scale spontaneous magnetic phase separated state of the compound. Interface exchange coupling between the AFM domains and the weak ferromagnetic domains causes unidirectional anisotropy of magnetization, resulting in the exchange bias (EB) effect. The EB field, HEB, and the coercive field strongly depend on temperature and the strength of the cooling magnetic field. HEB increases with an increase in the cooling magnetic field and reaches a maximum value of about 1 kOe at 5 K. The exchange field vanishes above TN with the disappearance of long-range magnetic ordering. The effect is promising for applications in electronics as it is large enough and as it is tunable by temperature and the magnetic field applied during cooling. published

We propose a new method for determining the magnetostriction characteristics of composite multiferroics by measuring the magnetoelectric (ME) response of the material structure. It is established that the integral characteristic of the ME effect coincides to within a constant factor with the magnetostriction curve. The results of an experimental investigation of the physical properties of volume composites based on lead zirconate titanate (PZT) and nickel ferrite spinel are presented. The field dependence of the ME voltage coefficient was used to determine magnetostriction curves of composite structures containing 10–70 wt % ferrospinel.

(1–x)BiMg0.5Ti0.5O3− xBiZn0.5Ti0.5O3 [(1− x)BMT–xBZT] ceramics of perovskite solid solutions, in which BMT and BZT are lead-free structural analogs of PbZrO3 and PbTiO3, respectively, have been synthesized under high pressure. It was found that the as-prepared compositions with a relative BZT content of

Studying multiferroic magnetoelectrics has been a focus field for the last decade and a half, and the exploration of new materials is one of the several aspects of this quest. Here we report on the synthesis and characterization of NiFe2O4-based multiferroic composites which employ (Ba,Ca)(Zr,Ti)O3 as the ferroelectric/piezoelectric component and NiFe2O4 as the magnetostrictive phase. We find that these composites show excellent magnetoelectric properties. Especially the composite with 30 vol% of NiFe2O4 has a converse ME coefficient approximately two times larger than the previously reported one for BaTiO3-CoFe2O4 composites. A relationship between the phase connectivity within these composites and the ME properties was explored by the time of flight secondary ion mass microscopy. We believe that our investigation will be helpful for the design of magnetoelectric materials as components of sensors and memory devices.

In this study we explore the prospect of strain-mediated magnetoelectric coupling in CoFe2O4-BaTiO3 bi-layers as a function of different interfacial boundary conditions. Pulsed laser deposition fabricated thin films on Nb:SrTiO3(100) and Nb:SrTiO3(111) single crystal substrates were characterized in terms of their peculiarities related to the structure-property relationship. Despite the homogeneous phase formation in both films, transmission electron microscopy showed that the bi-layers on Nb:SrTiO3(100) exhibit a higher number of crystallographic defects when compared to the films on Nb:SrTiO3(111). This signifies an intrinsic relationship of the defects and the substrate orientation. To analyze the consequences of these defects on the overall magnetoelectric coupling of the bi-layered films, piezoresponse force microscopy was performed in situ with an applied magnetic field. The local magnetic field dependence of the piezoresponse was obtained using principal component analysis. A detailed analysis of this dependence led to a conclusion that the bi-layers on Nb:SrTiO3(111) exhibit better strain-transfer characteristics between the magnetic and the piezoelectric layer than those which were deposited on Nb:SrTiO3(100). These strain transfer characteristics correlate well with the interface quality and the defect concentration. This study suggests that in terms of overall magnetoelectric coupling, the Nb:SrTiO3(111) grown bi-layers are expected to outperform their Nb:SrTiO3(100) grown counterparts.

International audience; Bismuth ferrite (BFO) is the drosophila of research in multiferroic materials due to its simultaneous magnetic and electric ordering at room temperature. The unfortunate detail is its antiferromagnetic ordering, which practically cancels magnetization and magnetoelectric coupling of the crystals. To induce finite coupling, dopants have been introduced with a certain success so far. Nanoparticles (NPs) can additionally constrain the formation of the magnetic cycloid in BFO due to size confinement. Doping nanoparticles can thus potentially provide a sizeable magnetization of BFO, making applications in computer memories and hyperthermia cancer treatment feasible. We show that the codoping of BFO NPs by Ba and Mn balances the electrochemical equilibrium, reduces the particle size, and shifts the magnetic phase transition to lower temperatures. The ferroelectric properties are retained and the remanent magnetization is increased by 1 order of magnitude: Bi0.95Ba0.05Fe0.95Mn0.05O3 possesses a remanent magnetization of 0.277 Am2/kg. Our Mössbauer studies reveal that two effects drive this increase: partial destruction of the spin cycloid due to Mn and increased spin canting due to Ba doping inducing local stress fields. This dopant combination and particular concentration improve the effective magnetization value exceptionally well.

Bitumen is the primary binder of asphalt covering most of the roads in the world. The origin of the primary oil, the refinery treatment, the specific chemical structure, and the natural or induced chemical modifications determine the mechanical properties of bitumen. Aging affects the time evolution of its thermo-rheological behaviour. Numerous studies have suggested that the particular local microstructure of bitumen affects its rheological properties including ‘bee’ – patterned structures. We have used scanning probe microscopy to distinguish between surface effects and bulk properties. Using scanning probe microscopy we conclude that the ‘bee’ structures exist at the surface only and do not occur in the bulk. In particular, they are not observed on freshly fractured surfaces. A special technique was used to chisel off the bitumen surface. The material relaxes and the ‘bee’ structures disappear from the surface. This proves that the ‘bees’ are formed as a thin surface layer. Improved recycling will thus have to rely on chemical treatment of aged and used bitumen rather than on intentional modifications to the surface microstructure which is merely a surface effect. The bitumen surface microstructure can nevertheless be seen as a fingerprint of the overall bitumen properties to a certain degree.

The paper proposes a method for forming thin films of polyvinylidene fluoride using a 3D printer. The extrusion parameters of a filament based on PVDF with a diameter of 1.75 were established and the optimal characteristics for printing by 3D printer were selected (nozzle temperature, table temperature, feed rate). Studies have shown that the local polarization of a thin PVDF film is stable for 20 hours.

The temperature behavior of the crystal structure as well as dielectric and magnetic properties of the perovskite bismuth chromate ceramics with the 10 mol % Cr3+-to-Sc3+ substitution were studied and compared with those of the unmodified compound. Using a high-pressure synthesis, BiCrO3 and BiCr0.9Sc0.1O3 were obtained as metastable perovskite phases which are monoclinic C2/c with the √6ap × √2ap × √6ap superstructure (where ap is the primitive perovskite unit-cell parameter) under ambient conditions. At room temperature, the unit cell volume of BiCr0.9Sc0.1O3 is ∼1.3% larger than that of BiCrO3. Both perovskites undergo a reversible structural transition into a nonpolar GdFeO3-type phase (orthorhombic Pnma, √2ap × 2ap × √2ap) in the temperature ranges of 410-420 K (BiCrO3) and 470-520 K (BiCr0.9Sc0.1O3) with a relative jump of the primitive perovskite unit cell volume of about -1.6 and -2.0%, respectively. Temperature dependences of the complex dielectric permittivity demonstrate anomalies in the phase transition ranges. The Pnma-to-C2/c crossover in BiCrO3 is accompanied by a decrease in the direct current (dc) conductivity, while in BiCr0.9Sc0.1O3 the conductivity increases. The onset of an antiferromagnetic order in BiCr0.9Sc0.1O3 is observed at the Néel temperature (TN) of about 85 K as compared with TN = 110 K in BiCrO3. In contrast to BiCrO3, which exhibits a spin reorientation at Tsr ∼ 72 K, no such a transition occurs in BiCr0.9Sc0.1O3. published

This work reports on the effect of calcination and poling processes on the crystalline phase and piezoresponse of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) micropillar arrays. PVDF micropillars were prepared by the imprinting method, heated and treated with high-voltage poling. The effect of the treatment conditions on the crystallization behaviour and the piezoelectric properties of the patterned PVDF films was investigated by piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). DSC data show that poling of the PVDF micropillars increases the crystallinity of the polymer from 12% to 22.7%. FTIR measurements of PVDF films show that the calcination and poling processes affect the γ to β phase transformation. In the imprinted and annealed samples, the γ phase was predominant (58% and 46%, respectively). For the poled samples, up to 42% of the β phase was found. Piezoelectric measurements using PFM showed that the poled PVDF micropillars possess a much higher piezoelectric coefficient (29 pm/V) compared to the annealed sample (10 pm/V). The piezoresponse of the PVDF micropillar arrays is thus substantially enhanced by poling.

Pb(Fe 1/2 Nb 1/2 )O 3 powders have been prepared via different synthesis routes: conventional solid state, molten salt, combustion, hydrothermal and mechanochemical activation assisted syntheses. The homogenized powders were pressed into pellets, sintered at 1000 °C in an oxygen atmosphere and characterized. The ceramic samples prepared by mechanochemical activation assisted synthesis exhibited the best functional properties. These ceramics were highly dense, with no secondary phases exhibiting sharp ferroelectric hysteresis loops with the remanent polarization 28.1μC/cm2and coercive field 3.1 kV/cm. In all other samples, the dielectric permittivity, dielectric losses versus temperature and polarization versus electric field measurements reveal enhanced electrical conductivity.

The electrocaloric effect in P(VDF-TrFE)/ barium zirconium titanate composites was studied by the direct method using a quasi-adiabatic ECE calorimeter. Barium zirconium titanate was synthesised using a hydrothermal method. Analytical results of the prepared material indicate the formation of phase pure particles with particle sizes between 100–200 nm. The polymer composite films with different filler content were prepared using the solution-casting method. The Curie transition temperature of barium zirconium titanate and P(VDF-TrFE) is in the range of 360–380 K. We observe an enhancement of the dielectric constant and the electrocaloric value in this temperature range due to the superposition of the polarization changes in the polymer and the filler.