Multiferroic CoFe2O4-Pb(Zr(0.52)Ti(0.48))O3 core-shell nanofibers and their magnetoelectric coupling.

Multiferroic CoFe(2)O(4)-Pb(Zr(0.52)Ti(0.48))O(3) core-shell nanofibers have been synthesized by coaxial electrospinning in combination with a sol-gel process. The core-shell configuration of nanofibers has been verified by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, and the spinel structure of CoFe(2)O(4) and perovskite structure of Pb(Zr(0.52)Ti(0.48))O(3) have been confirmed by X-ray diffraction and selected area electron diffraction. The multiferroic properties of core-shell nanofibers have been demonstrated by magnetic hysteresis and piezoresponse force microscopy, and their magnetoelectric coupling has been confirmed by evolution of piezoresponse under an external magnetic field, showing magnetically induced ferroelectric domain switching and changes in switching characteristics. The lateral magnetoelectric coefficient is estimated to be 2.95 × 10(4) mV/cmOe, two orders of magnitude higher than multiferroic thin films of similar composition. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011