Effect of internal chemical pressure on transport properties and TCR for sensors applications

In this work, the structural and transport properties of (Nd0.7-xLax)Sr0.3MnO3 manganites with x = 0, 0.1 and 0.2 prepared by solid state reaction route are studied. These compounds are found to be crystallized in orthorhombic structural form. The influence of La substitution in place of Nd at A-site shifts the metal to semiconductor/insulator transition temperature (TMI) peak towards room temperature with x = 0, 0.1 and 0.2. A composition prepared with the value of x = 0.2 in (Nd0.7-xLax)0.7Sr0.3MnO3 manganites (i.e. (Nd0.5La0.2)0.7Sr0.3MnO3), TMI was observed at 289 K which is close to room temperature. The maximum percentage of TCR values of compounds are increasing with average radius <r_A> but %TCR are slightly equal in x = 0.1 and 0.2 as compared to the parent compound. The maximum %TCR value is almost independent with A-site average radius <r_A> in x = 0.1 and 0.2. The electrical resistivity data are explored by different theoretical models and it has been concluded that at low temperature (ferromagnetic metallic region) conduction mechanism presumably due to the combined effect of electron-electron, electron-phonon and electron-magnon scattering, while in paramagnetic semiconducting regime, the variation of resistivity with temperature are explained by (1) Mott variable range hopping mechanism, (2) Adiabatic small polaron hopping and (3) Thermally activated hopping. The polaron hopping and thermal activation energies are decreasing with increase of an average A-site ionic radius (<rA>). An appropriate enlightenment for the observed behavior is discussed in detail.