Search

Nanocomposite films comprising polyethylene oxide (PEO) and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) were fabricated via the solution casting process, with the incorporation of copper cobaltite nanoparticles (CuCo2O4 NPs). The study investigated the impact of CuCo2O4 NPs on the structural and optical properties of the PEO/CMC polymer blend, using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis). The Debye–Scherrer equation was utilized to determine the size of the nanoparticles, and the results showed that the nanoparticle size decreased upon dispersion within the host matrix. The FTIR spectra of PEO/CMC blends revealed distinct vibrational spectral bands. These bands exhibited variations in their intensities, signifying interactions attributed to hydrogen bonds in the polymers. Various optical parameters, including energy gap, refractive index, Urbach energy, and extinction coefficient, were examined. The transmittance of the PEO/CMC blend exhibited a decrease from 88.6 to 18.8% following the dispersion of 3 wt% CuCo2O4 NPs. The optical analysis revealed an increase in the refractive index and a reduction in the optical band gap values, which reduced from 4.37 eV in the polymer blend to 3.77 eV in samples containing 3 wt% CuCo2O4. Furthermore, an increase in Urbach energy was observed with the rise in CuCo2O4 NPs content. The study also explored the influence of CuCo2O4 NPs on the fluorescence spectra of the PEO/CMC matrix and observed an increase in both optical dielectric and optical conductivity with increasing CuCo2O4 NPs content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green synthesized silver/gold nanoparticles (Ag/Au NPs) with an average size of 19 nm have been added to polyethylene glycol/sodium alginate (PEG/NaAlg) by the casting technique. The PEG/NaAlg blend's semicrystalline structure was revealed by the XRD, which also showed peaks that indicated the existence of silver and gold nanoparticles. Diffraction peak intensities change when Ag/Au NPs are added to the blend, indicating that some PEG/NaAlg composite domains are broken by the blend-Ag/Au NP interactions. A change in peak position and intensity is observed in the FT-IR absorption spectrum after adding Ag/Au nanoparticles. The optical characteristics were studied by analyzing the UV–Vis absorbance spectrum. Incorporating Ag/Au NPs reduced band-gap values, confirming that Ag/Au NPs can be used in many applications as band-gap-regulated optical materials. The Optical band gap values decrease in the presence of Ag/Au NPs due to the correlation between defect levels and localized state density. All of the samples follow Jonscher's power law in their AC conductivity spectra. Maximum values of ε′′ at lower frequencies were associated with an increase in energy loss in the fabricated composites, while maximum values of ε′ at lower frequencies were associated with the influence of the interfacial polarization generated by charge accumulation. A semicircle arc can be seen on the Cole–Cole plot because of the relaxation process and grain boundary. The prepared films become polarized and have a greater capacity to store electrical energy when exposed to an electric field. These composite materials can be utilized in flexible capacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]