The PbZr(0 53)Ti(0 47)O(3)(PZT)/CoFe(2)O(4)(CFO) layered nanostructures show lowering of dielectric constant and polarization and an enhanced magnetization with a decrease in temperature from 400 K to 100 K The temperature dependence of the real part of the dielectric constant illustrates a step-like behavior whereas the imaginary part gives a relaxation peak near the step maxima temperature A slow decrease in the polarization was observed from 300 K to 200 K with an eventual collapse of polarization at similar to 100 K and a complete polarization recovery with heating these phenomena is reproducible over cycles of experiment Remanent magnetization of the layered nanostructure was found to be three times higher at 100 K than that at room temperature There is a slow enhancement in remanent (internal) magnetization with lowering of temperature resulting in slow polarization switch and finally the collapse The temperature-dependent dielectric polarization and magnetization were different from the parent layer indicating a kind of dynamic magneto-electric coupling in the layered nanostructures (C) 2010 Elsevier B V All rights reserved