Effect of Calcination Temperature on The Structure of Evolution of Al-Co co-Doped ZnO Nanofibers for High Performance Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting

The development of high-efficiency piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) requires nanostructured materials with controlled crystallinity, optimized morphology, and enhanced lattice stability. However, systematic investigations on Al–Co co-doped electrospun ZnO nanofibers for piezoelectric energy harvesting remain limited. This study aims to examine the effects of aluminum (Al) and cobalt (Co) co-doping on the structural, morphological, and chemical characteristics of electrospun ZnO nanofibers. ZnO nanofiber membranes were fabricated via electrospinning using PVA, ZnAc, AlCl₃, and CoAc precursors, followed by calcination at ۵۰۰ °C. XRD results showed that Al-ZnO (۱۰۰:۰) exhibited the largest crystallite size (۹۳.۰۹ nm) and highest crystallinity, while the Al–Co (۷۵:۲۵) composition produced the smallest crystallites (۵۹.۵۲ nm) due to Co-induced lattice strain. FTIR spectra further confirmed dopant–lattice interactions through characteristic metal–oxygen vibrations. SEM analysis revealed uniform bead-free fibers with diameters ranging from ۷۷ to ۲۱۹ nm, with smoother surfaces observed in co-doped samples. EDX confirmed the successful incorporation and homogeneous distribution of Al and Co within the ZnO matrix. The results demonstrate that Al–Co co-doping effectively tunes crystallite size, crystallinity, and fibre morphology, offering a promising strategy for optimizing electrospun ZnO nanofibers toward enhanced piezoelectric energy harvesting applications.

کلیدواژه ها:

ZnO nanofibers ، Al&ndash ، Co co-doping ، Electrospun nanostructures ، Crystallite Size ، Piezoelectric energy harvesting