ZnO/LSMO Nanocomposites for Energy Harvesting

The composites of strontium-doped lanthanum manganite (LSMO) with zinc oxide (ZnO) are candidate materials for energy harvesting by virtue of their magnetic and piezoelectric characteristics. They could be used to harvest energy from stray sources, such as the vibrations and electromagnetic noise from transformers and compressors within electrical grid power stations to power small diagnostic sensors, among other applications. The LSMO/ZnO nanocomposites were made by: (i) milling the two bulk powders and, (ii) a wet chemical process which resulted in core-shell structures. The electrical, piezoelectric, and magnetoelectric properties showed strong dependence on the fabrication method. Growth of ZnO nanopillars on the particulate core of LSMO surface appears to have improved the piezoelectric properties. Moreover, the chemical bath deposition process can be easily modified to incorporate dopants to augment these properties further.