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Purpose: PAN/GO nanocomposites are gaining more and more interest from research and industrial environments. According to theoretical studies and experimental tests, PAN/GO exhibits excellent properties such as tensile strength, good thermal and electrical conductivity, excellent thermal and tribological properties. Thanks to this property, the composite is considered the ideal successor to the nanocomposites used so far. The PAN/GO nanocomposite has great potential in the filtration, automotive, electrical and photovoltaic industry. Design/methodology/approach: The spin-coating process is used to produce thin layers by centrifuging a liquid substance on flat surfaces. The advantages of the spin- coating process are simplicity and ease with which the process can be carried out. Due to the ability to high spin speeds, high airflow leads to fast drying time, which in turn results in high consistency in both macroscopic and nanometre scales. The spin-coting method is usually the starting point and reference point for most academic and industrial processes that require a thin and uniform coating. The use of spin coating has a wide spectrum. This technique can be used to coat small substrates (from a few square mm) up to the coating of flat displays, e.g. TV sets, which may have a meter or more in diameter. Findings: Among the existing methods for producing thin layers, including physical and chemical methods for gas phase deposition or the self-assembly process, the spin-coating process makes it possible to produce uniform thin nanocomposite layers in an easy and cheap way. Spin coating is usually the starting point and reference point for most academic and industrial processes that require a thin and uniform coating. Practical implications: Despite mixing the solution with an ultrasonic homogenizer to disperse the nanoparticles, the particles dispersed to form a rough surface. Originality/value: Low-cost, easy to carry out method of producing thin nanocomposite layers, having significant application in laboratory environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The main challenge to developing future display substrates is to synthesize flexible substrate materials that also have excellent optical and thermal properties, and low thermal expansion number. In this study, a novel trifluoromethylated asymmetric aromatic diamine, 4-[[4-(4-amino-2-trifluoromethylphenoxy)phenyl]sulfonyl-3-(trifluoromethyl)]benzenamine (AFPSFB), was synthesized through nucleophilic substitution. Conventional two-step polycondensation of AFPSFB with commercially available tetracarboxylic dianhydrides enabled the fabrication of fully or semi-aromatic polyimides (PIs). The resulting PIs were highly soluble in polar aprotic solvents with good optical and thermal properties. Next, polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane containing an amine group (NH 2 -POSS) was reacted with the resulting soluble PI. All the PI-POSS nanohybrids displayed excellent optical properties, including high transparency (>91% at 400 nm), low refractive index (<1.5589), and very small birefringence (<0.0025 at 637 nm). End-capping of the POSS and chemical bonding between the POSS and PIs significantly enhanced the thermal and electrical properties. The results provide useful information for designing molecular architectures for manufacturing high-performance flexible substrates in future display devices. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Novel soluble PI-tethered POSS nanohybrids with well-defined architectures were prepared. • The PI-POSS nanohybrids are almost transparent, colorless, and have high thermal properties. • These outstanding combined features indicate this is a facile method for preparing polymer nanohybrids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Nanocomposites composed of magnetic and dielectric materials are suitable for high performance electromagnetic wave absorbers due to their great impedance matching. In this work, the microwave absorbing properties of Fe 3 O 4 BaTiO 3 composites were investigated over a frequency range of 1–18 GHz Fe 3 O 4 BaTiO 3 composites present significantly enhanced microwave absorption performance compared with BaTiO 3. For the optimal Fe 3 O 4 (x) BaTiO 3 (1-x) (x = 0.8) composite, the reflection loss (RL) could reach −47.4 dB at 12.26 GHz with a matching thickness of 2.2 mm, the bandwidth below −10 dB is 5.0 GHz, which is six times higher than BaTiO 3. The broadened absorption bandwidth is resulted from better impedance matching. This results show that Fe 3 O 4 BaTiO 3 composites can be used as an excellent microwave absorption materials with strong absorption and broad bandwidth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract While natural nanoparticles are currently being investigated in a wide range of applications due to their compelling strong potential, they have yet to be employed for practical engineering material systems. Here, we demonstrate a dichroic nanocomposite film that shows outstanding optical properties by introducing cellulose nanowhiskers (CNWs) into PVA iodine complex. CNWs were isolated via acid hydrolysis and the nanocomposite film was elongated and dyed with iodine. The significantly reduced extension and treatment time of iodine were applied for the alignment of iodine and PVA molecules in the film. The results revealed that the degree of polarization and transmittance were enhanced as the draw ratio and the content of the CNWs increased. We expect that this material system can offer a new pathway for designing and processing more advanced engineering materials with high performances by using various natural biomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The g-C 3 N 4 /CNHM hybrids with various weight ratios were prepared. • The g-C 3 N 4 /CNHM-2% hybrid exhibited the optimal photocatalytic performance. • Efficient optical nonlinearity was observed for g-C 3 N 4 /CNHM-2%. • The enhanced activity was attributed to the efficient charge transfer effect. Abstract In this study, a series of carbon nitride nano-homojunction (CNHM) decorated carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4) nanocomposites (g-C 3 N 4 /CNHM) was synthesized by the facile solvothermal method to maximize the photocatalytic and nonlinear optical performances. The structure, optical and electrical properties of the g-C 3 N 4 /CNHM nanocomposites were investigated by various characterization techniques, including Fourier-transform infrared, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction patterns, Scanning electron microscopy, UV–Vis diffuse reflection spectra and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method. The photocatalysis and nonlinear optical performance of the g-C 3 N 4 /CNHM nanocomposites are shown to be dependent on the CNHM loadings. The highest photocatalytic activity and obvious nonlinear optical performance were observed for g-C 3 N 4 /CNHM-2%. A rational mechanism for degrading pollutants and observed nonlinear property was proposed, which could be ascribed to the efficient interfacial charge transfer between g-C 3 N 4 and CNHM. The efficient charge separation efficiency was confirmed by the photoluminescence spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and photocurrent spectroscopy studies. These results indicate that the multifunctional hybrid materials with tunable optoelectronic performances can be obtained by adjusting the content of CNHM in g-C 3 N 4 /CNHM nanocomposites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, Eu3+-doped ZnO nanowires were prepared with different concentrations of Eu3+ ions by a hydrothermal method. Before the Eu3+-doped ZnO nanowires were grown, sputtering was used to deposit ZnO films of ~300 nm thickness on SiO2/Si and glass substrates as t he s eed l ayer. Z n(NO3)2-6H2O, Eu(NO3)3-6H2O, and C6H12N4 were used as reagents to grow the Eu3+-doped ZnO nanowires on ZnO/SiO2/Si and ZnO/glass substrates. First, the Eu3+-doped ZnO nanostructures were grown on the substrates at 100 °C. We found that the nanowires could be successfully grown because an undoped ZnO solution was used, and the Eu3+-doped ZnO nanowires could not be grown because different concentrations of Eu3+ ions were added. We also found that the required growth temperatures of the Eu3+- doped ZnO nanowires decreased with increasing concentration of Eu3+ ions. In this study, we also thoroughly investigated the effects of different concentrations of Eu3+ ions on the luminescence properties of the ZnO seed layer and the Eu3+-doped ZnO nanowires. We showed that the substrates used and the concentrations of Eu3+ ions have considerable effects on the photoluminescence properties of the Eu3+-doped ZnO nanowires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnS nanoparticles were synthesized by hydrothermal method. The influences of reaction temperature, holding time and S/Zn molar ratio on the structure, morphology, optical and electrical properties of ZnS nanoparticles were studied systematically at the range of 90 °C to 180 °C, 6 h to 15 h and 1:2 to 2.5:1, respectively. The results indicate that the reaction temperature, holding time and S/Zn molar ratio have no influence on phase structure. All the samples belong to zinc blende cubic structure of ZnS. However, the reaction temperature has strong influences on the growth of crystals, optical and electrical properties due to LaMer theory and two-stage growth kinetics. When the reaction temperature increases from 90 °C to 180 °C, the crystallite sizes increase from 7.0 nm to 9.7 nm and the average particle sizes decrease from 21 nm to 14 nm; the emission peaks are red shifted from 445 nm to 460 nm and the emission intensity is increased by 4.4 times; the dielectric constant and dielectric loss decrease from 4.86 to 4.71 and 2.86 × 104 to 2.70 × 104, respectively. While, the holding time has slight influences on the growth of crystals, optical and electrical properties. And the emission band and emission intensity of ZnS nanoparticles can be adjusted by the S/Zn molar ratio. When the S/Zn molar ratio is less than 1:1 or equal to 1:1, the emission bands range from 400 nm to 600 nm centered at ~ 450 nm. When the S/Zn molar ratio is greater than 1:1, the emission bands range from 400 nm to 700 nm centered at ~ 540 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: "Herein, we consider the technologies of obtaining composite structures that can exhibit the properties of metamaterials, namely layered metal-dielectric (metal-polymer) structures and fish-net metal-polymeric structures. The dielectric and resonance properties of the synthesized structures are studied both theoretically and experimentally, and the excitation features of new types of quasi-non-diffraction plasmon-polaritons generated in them are established. Original methods and tools for characterizing the optical properties of the created composite structures (in particular, a differential polarization interferometer, a method and a device for detecting a negative refractive index) are proposed. Based on the developed and created metamaterials, a number of new devices are proposed and implemented, in particular, new configurations of flat lenses (so-called superlenses) of the near and far fields in the spectral range from ultraviolet to infrared radiation". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnO/FeS tubular nanocomposite was successfully synthesized by a facile two‐step chemical route. The as‐obtained composite was composed of the hexagonal ZnO tubes with a mean diameter of 150 nm and cubic FeS nanosheets with a thickness of 35 nm, and FeS nanosheets grew epitaxially on the outside surface of ZnO tubular microstructures. Furthermore during the process of FeS nanosheets coating on the ZnO needles, the acid etching leads to the formation of ZnO/FeS tubular structure. In addition, the as‐prepared ZnO/FeS tubular nanocomposite exhibited the enhanced optical properties and absorption degradation activity. After 30 min, the absorption degradation ratios of the as‐prepared ZnO/FeS tubular nanocomposite for some organic dyes can improve greatly [Methylene blue, MB (82.4 %); Rhodamine B, RhB (94.5 %); Pyronine B, PB (86.6 %) and Methyl orange, MO (78.5 %)] when compared to the individual ZnO needles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The thermal stability of surface plasmon resonance in a-C:H〈Ag〉 and a-C:H〈Ag + TiО2〉 nanocomposite films is studied. The films were deposited by ion-plasma magnetron sputtering of a combined graphite-metal target in the atmosphere of the argon and methane mixture. The structure and optical properties of nanocomposite films were studied using transmission electron microscopy and optical spectroscopy, respectively. It is found that surface plasmon resonance in the a-C:H〈Ag + TiО2〉 films persists to the annealing temperature of 450°C in argon atmosphere, whereas in a-C:H〈Ag〉 films, surface plasmon resonance disappears at the annealing temperature of 350°C. It is shown that annealing at 350°C leads to the significant increase in the diameter of silver nanoparticles in the structure of the a-C:H〈Ag〉 films. In the a-C:H〈Ag + TiO2〉 films, along with the appearance of silver nanoparticles with a large diameter, silver nanoparticles with a small diameter are present, which remain after annealing at this temperature. The higher thermal stability of surface plasmon resonance in the a-C:H〈Ag + TiО2〉 films is explained by the presence of TiO2 nanoparticles in the structure of films, which inhibit the coalescence of silver nanoparticles at high temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract New cubic-spherical morphology was obtained for (Y 2 O 3) 0.5 -(MgO) 0.5 nanocomposite by the polymeric complex method. In this method, magnesium acetate, yttrium nitrate and C 10 H 16 N 2 O 8 (EDTA) were used as a source of Mg2+, Y3+ and both template and chelate agent, respectively. Results show that with increasing pH value from 2 to 8, the morphology of the sample was changed from irregular to the mixture of cubic and spherical particles. Furthermore, according to the PL results, the nanopowder had the strong emission peak centered at 348 nm and 450 nm, corresponding to the electronic transition of T 1 u 1 → A 1 g 2 and B 1 u 3 → A g 1 , respectively. The narrow blue, orange, and red bands are also located in the 450 nm, 580 nm and 690 nm spectral ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymer nanocomposite (PNC) films of poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly (vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) blend matrix (50/50 wt%) incorporated with zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (i.e., (PEO–PVP)– x wt% ZnO; x  = 0, 1, 3 and 5) were prepared and characterized as potential candidates for applications in the next generation optoelectronic and microelectronic devices. The structural properties of these PNCs were investigated by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and the X–ray diffraction (XRD) measurement techniques. The porous spherulites morphology, polymer-polymer and polymer-nanoparticle interactions, and the semicrystalline structures of these materials have been significantly influenced by the incorporated amount of ZnO nanoparticles in the polymer blend matrix. The optical behaviour of the PNC films was studied from ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy, and the optical parameters viz. optical energy band gap (indirect and direct), Urbach tail energy, refractive index and the ZnO surface plasmon resonance energy were determined. Complex permittivity, electric modulus, electrical conductivity and the impedance spectra of these PNC materials as flexible nanodielectrics have been measured in the frequency range from 20 Hz to 1 MHz by employing the dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS). The DRS results reveal that the ambient temperature values of complex permittivity increase with the increase of ZnO contents up to 3 wt% in the PEO–PVP blend matrix and then it slightly decreases at 5 wt%. The dielectric relaxation process confirms that the polymers cooperative chains segmental dynamics in the blend matrix enhances in presence of ZnO nanoparticles in the complex nanocomposite structures. The temperature dependent study of 3 wt% ZnO containing PNC film reveals that the complex permittivity increase linearly with the increase of temperature, whereas the dielectric relaxation time and electrical conductivity values obey the Arrhenius behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new luminescent europium(III) bis-β-diketonate complex, Eu 2 (PBT) 3 (NO 3 ) 3 (PBT = 1,1-(pyridine-2,6-diyl)bis(4,4,4-trifluoro-1,3-dione), was incorporated into the poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) matrix and formed nanofibers via electrospinning technology. The different characterization techniques were adopted to reveal the effect of Eu 2 (PBT) 3 (NO 3 ) 3 on the spatial structure and optical properties of the nano-composite fibers obtained. The doping enhances the thermal stability and filament-forming properties for a series of PMMA-supported composite nanofibers Eu/PMMA, and in particular, the doping concentrations of 11 wt% also showed more efficient luminescence properties. Furthermore, the Judd-Ofelt theory was applied in this study to explain the effect of the distribution of Eu 2 (PBT) 3 (NO 3 ) 3 and the mutual effect of the Eu 2 (PBT) 3 (NO 3 ) 3 coordination compound and surrounding fractions of PMMA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, one-step hydrothermal synthesis of CdS/ MoS2 nanocomposite is proposed as a suitable option, with high photocatalytic property, for application in solar cells’ structure. Also, UV–vis spectroscopy was performed for the synthesized nanoparticles and nancomposites, which showed that the CdS coverage synthesized on the surface of MoS 2 creating CdS/ MoS 2 nanocomposite, causes the nanocomposite’s absorption to the shift towards the lower wavelengths, leading to the increase in the composite’s band gap comparing to MoS 2 . Moreover, XRD and EDX analyses confirmed the successful synthesis, while the morphology of the prepared materials were investigated by FESEM and HRTEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this study is to synthesize and investigate the structural, magnetic and optical features of ZnFe 2 O 4 -ZrO 2 mixed metal oxide nanocomposite. ZnFe 2 O 4 -ZrO 2 nanocomposite with different ratios was prepared by a simple and low cost hydrothermal method. The samples were characterized with the aid of Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), BET measurements and UV–Vis spectroscopy. The X-ray diffraction study showed that the crystalline structure of ZnFe 2 O 4 and ZrO 2 nanoparticles and ZnFe 2 O 4 -ZrO 2 nanocomposites were well-formed. FTIR Spectroscopy and SEM images further confirmed the complete formation of zinc ferrite and zirconium oxide crystalline structure with nano spherical morphology. Moreover, the particle size of the nanocomposites was between 14 and 30 nm, estimated by DLS analysis. The highest saturation magnetization (Ms) (27 emu/g) was achieved for ZnFe 2 O 4 -ZrO 2 nanocomposite with (3:1) ratio with M r and H c values of 0.17 (emu/g) and 3.02 (Oe), respectively. Moreover, optical studies indicated that addition of narrow band gap ZnFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles could effectively reduce the band gap and shift the excitation wavelength of the nanocomposite to visible light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nanocomposite films of poly vinylpyrrolidone (PVP) with different amounts viz., 2, 4, 6 and 8 wt% of cesium aluminate (CsAlO2) have been fabricated using solvent casting technique. The effect of nanofiller content on the optical properties of PVP/CsAlO2 nanocomposite films has been established by UV-visible spectroscopy. The UV-visible transmittance studies revealed that the UV light absorbing nature of nanocomposite films with considerable visible transparency. The Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectral studies visualizes the effect of CsAlO2 nanofiller on the structural behaviors of PVP, while optical studies reveals an obvious change in the electronic band structure leading to a significant reduction in optical band gaps. The scanning electron microscopic (SEM) studies establish the morphological changes in PVP matrix upon doping with CsAlO2. The measured refractive index (RI) depends on the volume fraction of CsAlO2 nanofiller and the result indicates that a substantial increase of RI values from 1.85 to 2.64 at wave length 360 nm. The dielectric studies, optical conductivity measurements and Urbach energy analysis also supports the dopant dependent optical property, tuning of PVP/CsAlO2 nanocomposite films to enable effective material property engineering to suit specified application requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In order to improve optical properties of materials made of nanocellulose and also minimalize costs, small amounts of mineral fillers such as different forms of calcium carbonate are added. In this work nanocellulose was obtained from apple pomace. The precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) in amount of 3.74 ± 1.36% of a sample dry matter was deposited on cellulose fibers during isolation process. Isolated cellulose was then treated with ultrasonic method in order to obtain apple cellulose nanofibrills (ACNF)/PCC nanocomposites. Different ultrasonication conditions were applied in order to evaluate how time (0-60 min) and power (0-400 W) influence on the ACNF/PCC nanocomposites properties. Moreover structure, chemical composition, morphology and rheological properties of both cellulose and composites were characterized. Also the mechanical properties of nanopapers made of ACNF/PCC nanocellulose were measured. The nanofibril structure of ultrasound processed cellulose was confirmed. In all cases samples were pseudoplastic fluids with quite low viscosity. The mean hydrodynamic diameter of particle dispersions decreased the most after use of ultrasounds for 60 min and the obtained dispersions were also the most homogeneous. The elastic modulus of obtained nanopapers were 2-3 GPa and tensile strength 60-70 MPa and in general ultrasonication improved their rigidity.Graphical Abstract: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have studied structural, optical, electronic and magnetic properties of undoped well crystalline hexagonal and non-hexagonal ZnO system. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high resolution transmission electron micrographs (HRTEM) of air annealed at 550 °C (sample-d) confirmed the presence of hexagonal (wurtzite) single phase ZnO. Raman analysis detected the vibrations of fundamental and second order phonons of Zn and oxygen related species. In Photoluminescence (PL) spectra, we observed that the intensity of UV peak decreases as annealing temperature increases. Broad PL visible band of samples shifted towards lower wavelength due to annealing effects. Fitting of broad PL spectra confirmed the existence of Zinc interstitial (Zn i ), Zinc vacancy (V Zn ) and oxygen vacancy (V o ) defects. To determine the Zn interstitial and vacancy defects Auger peaks were de-convoluted from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) survey scan. Oxygen vacancies are estimated by fitting of asymmetric XPS O-1s spectra. Incomplete oxidation of magnetization versus temperature in the presence of applied field showed the presence of irreversibility in 550 °C annealed-sample. Zn clusters and secondary phases are may be reason of room temperature ferromagnetism in non-hexagonal samples (a-c). While, complex defect (zinc and oxygen vacancies) as observed in electronic and PL data may be responsible for inducing, promoting and stabilizing room temperature ferromagnetism in well crystalline hexagonal ZnO nanoparticles (sample-d). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cobalt Molybdate (β-CoMoO 4 ) and Cobalt Oxide (Co 3 O 4 ) nanocomposite was prepared via co-precipitation and solid-state methods. Various techniques like powder XRD, FESEM, HRTEM, FTIR, VSM, UV–Vis and PL spectroscopy were used to investigate the structure and morphology of as prepared samples. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) reveals monoclinic and cubic structure for β-CoMoO 4 and Co 3 O 4 respectively. The surface morphology was observed using field emission electron microscopy (FESEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), which shows the formation of nanocomposites at nanoscale range, the presence of elements were determined by energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX). FTIR analysis confirms the formation and bonding nature of the samples. The anti-ferromagnetic behavior of CMCO64 composite was determined by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The bandgap values were calculated by extrapolating the straight line on the energy axis (hν), and the values of β-CoMoO 4, C O3 O 4 and β-CoMoO 4 - C O3 O 4 composites were determined to be 2.20, 2.09 eV and 1.54–2.44 eV respectively. The weak blue emission peak observed at 489 nm is corresponds to crystal defects only observed in CMCO01 and CMCO64 composite, for CMCO10 the peak shifted to green region. Antibacterial studies illustrate good result for the CMCO64 composite against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. The sensor studies were measured at different humidity environment (RH 5% to RH 98% ). It was found that the increase in relative humidity leads to increase in the sensitivity factor of the samples. Among the samples CMCO64 composite possess highest sensitivity factor of (S f  = 4851) with response time of 60 s and recovery time of 230 s respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, custom-made triple-tail sodium 1,4-bis(neopentyloxy)-3-(neopentyloxycarbonyl)-1,4-dioxobutane-2-silphonate (TC14) surfactant was used to assist exfoliation through electrochemical method for synthesis of graphene oxide (GO). A commercially available single-tail sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) surfactant was also utilised for comparison. Both synthesised GOs were reduced to produce reduced GO (rGO), which was fabricated into thin films through spray coating. The rGO thin film assisted by TC14 surfactant (TC14-rGO) with Pt nanoparticles was hybridised to improve electrical conductivity. The five different fabricated thin films were TC14-GO, TC14-rGO, SDS-rGO, Pt and TC14-rGO/Pt hybrid, which were used in dye-sensitised solar cells (DSSCs) as counter electrode (CE). Zinc oxide nanorods/titanium dioxide (ZnO NRs/TiO 2 bilayer) was used as photoanode and fabricated through a simple sol–gel immersion and squeegee method. Based on solar simulator measurement, TC14-rGO/Pt hybrid CE thin film exhibited the highest energy conversion efficiency of approximately 0.044% with the V oc , J sc and FF values of approximately 0.618 V, 0.163 mA/cm 2 and 0.387, respectively, compared with other fabricated CE materials. The combination of TC14-rGO/Pt hybrid CE and ZnO NRs/TiO 2 bilayer photoanode enhanced the DSSCs photovoltaic performance because of the high conductivity, low oxygen content, high quality and less agglomeration of thin rGO films as a result of improved exfoliation by triple-tail TC14 surfactant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current research investigation, polycarbonate/hallyosite nanotubes (PC/HNTs) nanocomposite (NC) films have been successfully fabricated by solution intercalation technique using ultrasound energy in facile way which helps complete exfoliation of the HNTs in the matrix. The effect of Gamma irradiation-induced modifications of PC/HNTs NC have been studied in the dose range 200-500 kGy, irradiated with Co60 source. The NC films have been evaluated by UV-visible spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopic techniques in order to probe the effect of gamma radiation on the structural behaviors. The obtained results have been indicated that as the Gamma irradiation dosage increases from 200 to 500 kGy, phenolic group forms through scissoring of ester link of PC, which may cause PC to degrade and lose their property. At lower dosage (200 kGy), the effect is less and at higher dosage (500 kGy), the effect is significant and at 300 and 400 kGy, the effect is moderate and NC films retained their properties. The irradiation effect is most significant and effective at the higher dosage range. UV-visible spectroscopy shows a noticeable reduction in the energy band gap due to gamma irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, spinel magnesium cobalt ferrite (Co x Mg 1−x Fe 2 O 4 : x  = 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0) nanocomposites were synthesized successfully by modified sol-gel combustion method. Magnesium nitrate, cobalt nitrate and iron nitrate were used as the source of divalent (Mg 2+ and Co 2+ ) and trivalent (Fe 3+ ) cations, respectively and urea were used as the reducing (fuel) agent. The effects of cobalt ions on morphology, structural, optical, magnetic and photo-catalytic properties of spinel Co x Mg 1−x Fe 2 O 4 nanocomposites were investigated. Various characterization methods, including X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), high resolution scanning electron microscope (HR-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier transforms infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and photo-catalytic degradation (PCD) activity were used to study the phase purity, microstructure, particle size, elemental composition, functional group determination, band gap calculation, magnetic properties and degradation efficiency of nanoparticles, respectively. The observed results showed that the final products consists cubic spinel phase with sphere-like nanoparticles morphologies. Furthermore, spinel Co 0.6 Mg 0.4 Fe 2 O 4 nanocomposite showed highest PCD efficiency (98.55%) than other composition of ferrite nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study offers a new method to synthesize facilely willemite (Zn2SiO4) based phosphor at the temperature of 800 °C. The ZnO-SiO2 nanocomposite was calcined at different temperatures between 500 and 1000 °C. The structural, morphological and optical properties of the nanocomposite obtained at various calcination temperatures were studied using different techniques. The FT-IR, XRD and the UV-vis result confirmed the formation of willemite phase. The precursor was confirmed to be amorphous by XRD at room temperature, but upon calcination temperature at 500 °C, it was transformed into a crystalline structure. The crystallinity and the particle size of the nanocomposite increase as the calcination temperature were increased as revealed by XRD and TEM measurement. The sample exhibits a spherical morphology from 500 to 800 °C and dumbbell-like morphology above 800 °C as shown by the FESEM images. The absorption spectrum suffers intense in lower temperature and tends to shift to lower wavelength in the UV region as the calcination temperature increases. The band gap values were found to be increasing from 3.228-5.550 eV obtained between 500 to 1000 °C, and all the results confirm the formation of willemite phase at 800 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BiFeO3-ZnFe2O4 heterojunction nanocomposites have been produced by a chemical synthesis method using one- and two-pot approaches. X-ray diffraction patterns of as-calcined samples indicated formation of pure zinc ferrite (ZnFe2O4) and bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3) phases, each retaining its crystal structure. Diffuse reflectance spectrometry was applied to calculate the optical bandgap of the photocatalysts, revealing values in the range from 2.03 eV to 2.17 eV, respectively. The maximum photodegradation of methylene blue of about 97% was achieved using two-pot-synthesized photocatalyst after 120 min of visible-light irradiation due to the higher probability of charge separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs in the heterojunction structure. Photoluminescence spectra showed lower emission intensity of twopot- synthesized photocatalyst, due to its lower recombination rate originating from greater charge separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article reports the effect of annealing temperature on the morphology and optical properties of silver nanoparticles embedded in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix. The nanocomposite films prior to annealing shows spherical grains. These films are annealed at five different temperatures (373 K, 423 K, 473 K, 523 K and 573 K) in vacuum and the effects on surface morphology and optical properties are investigated. The unannealed and annealed films are characterized by FESEM, XRD, FTIR spectra, TGA, UV–vis absorption spectra and photoluminescence (PL) spectra. Scanning electron microscopy images show the change in shape and size with increase of annealing temperature. Spherical shapes of the grains in pre annealed samples get changed to nanocubes and nanorods at higher annealing temperatures of 523 K and 573 K respectively. UV–vis spectra show a remarkable change of surface plasmon resonance peak with the increase in annealing temperature. XRD shows a characteristic intense peak of silver nano at 2Ө = 38 0 for (111) crystalline plane with no significant change with annealing temperature. Photoluminescence spectra show a tendency of red shift of emission peak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of variation in composition on the structural, magnetic, optical and photo catalytic activity of magnesium ferrite (MgFe 2 O 4 ) -graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites was studied. Magnetic nanocomposites of GO and MgFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles (NPs) with varying w/w ratio were synthesized by facile sonication method. X-Ray diffraction patterns confirmed the presence of spinel ferrite phase in the nanocomposites with the crystalline size 8–32 nm. Fourier transformation infrared (FT-IR) spectra of the nanocomposites displayed absorption bands corresponding to GO and MgFe 2 O 4 NPs along with red shift of bands corresponding to C=O, C=C and O-H stretching. Thermo gravimetric analysis confirmed higher stability of nanocomposites over pristine GO. Saturation magnetization increased from 3.63 to 11.10 emu/g with the increase in content of MgFe 2 O 4 NPs in the nanocomposites. Scanning electron microscopy analysis along with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) confirmed the presence of MgFe 2 O 4 NPs along with GO sheets. Immobilization of clusters of MgFe 2 O 4 NPs onto GO sheets was evident from transmission electron micrographs (TEM) of all the nanocomposites. BET surface area of the nanocomposites ranged from 63.04 to 165.29 m 2 /g and was maximum when GO:MgFe 2 O 4 w/w ratio was 1:0.5. It was markedly higher than pristine GO and MgFe 2 O 4 NPs. Optical studies revealed lowering of the band gap in the nanocomposites upto 2.21 eV as compared to pristine MgFe 2 O 4 NPs. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra of nanocomposites displayed quenching of PL intensity with increase of GO content. Band gap also displayed similar trend. The synthesized nanocomposites were used as photocatalysts for methylene blue dye degradation under visible light irradiation. The nanocomposite with GO to MgFe 2 O 4 ratio 1:0.5 displayed best activity with complete degradation of dye in 30 min. The results confirmed that the composition of GO based magnetic nanocomposites can be tailored for efficient removal of contaminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, we discuss the transmittance properties of one-dimensional (1D) superconductor nanocomposite photonic crystals (PCs) in THz frequency regions. Our modeling is essentially based on the two-fluid model, Maxwell-Garnett model and the characteristic matrix method. The numerical results investigate the appearance of the so-called cutoff frequency. We have obtained the significant effect of some parameters such as the volume fraction, the permittivity of the host material, the size of the nanoparticles and the permittivity of the superconductor material on the properties of the cutoff frequency. The present results may be useful in the optical communications and photonic applications to act as tunable antenna in THz, reflectors and high-pass filter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New glass nanocomposites (GNCs) of the nominal compositions [(100-x) TeO 2 –xSrTiO 3 ] with x = 5, 10 and 15 (in mol%) were prepared. The glassy phase in the GNCs samples was established by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Differential thermal analysis (DTA) studies. The SrTiO 3 nanoparticles/clusters embedded in tellurite glass matrix for GNCs were identified by transmission electron microscopic (TEM) and confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) study. The optical transmission (at x = 5) and the electron spin resonance (ESR) studies for the GNCs samples indicated that the presence of Ti 3 + ions in tetragonal distorted octahedral sites. The variation of the thermal, density (ρ) and the molar volume (V m ) of the GNCs samples with increasing SrTiO 3 were discussed in terms of the structural modifications that take place in the glass matrix. The dielectric properties and ac conductivity of the GNCs samples cannot be explained on the basis of the proportion of Ti 3 + ions only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To probe the potential utilities in the photocatalyst and optical materials, a series of CaWO4/NiO samples have been prepared via the co-precipitation preparation with different capping agents. The obtained CaWO4/NiO nanocomposite was characterized by UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) techniques. To examine the catalytic characteristics of the obtained CaWO4/NiO nanocomposite, the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B dyes under ultraviolet illumination were performed. Recycling experiments that were also carried out proved the good stability of the survey samples. The combination of CaWO4/NiO nanocomposite is expected to become a new generation material for photodegradation with excellent performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Magnesium oxide (MgO)-graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites were prepared by the hydrothermal method at different temperatures. The effect of growth temperature on the structural, linear, and nonlinear optical (NLO) parameters was investigated. The decoration of MgO on GO sheets was confirmed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared, and UV-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy analyses. The energy band-gaps of MgO-GO nanocomposites were calculated from UV-vis spectrum using Tauc plot. The NLO parameters of MgO-GO nanocomposites were calculated for the first time by the simple Z-scan technique with nanosecond Nd:YAG laser at 532 nm. The nonlinear absorption coefficient β and nonlinear refractive index n2 for MgO-GO nanocomposites at the laser intensity of 1.1 × 108 W/cm2 were measured to be in the order of 10-7 cm/W and 10-12 cm²/W, respectively. The third-order NLO susceptibility of MgO-GO nanocomposites was measured in the order of 10-9 esu. The results showed that MgO-GO structures have negative nonlinearity as well as good nonlinear two-photon absorption at 532 nm. Furthermore, the NLO parameters increased by the enhancement of the growth temperature. As the investigation of new materials plays an important role in the advancement of optoelectronics, MgO-GO nanocomposites possess potential applications in NLO devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present communication deals with the optical/dielectric characteristics of MgNb 2 O 6 + 0.25Zn 0.5 Cd 0.5 S nanocomposite (10–30 nm) mixture. Zn 0.5 Cd 0.5 S (size ∼10 nm) was synthesized by microwave assisted solvo-thermal method. Monophase magnesium niobate (MN) nanoparticles (10–20 nm) were synthesized in a single step by mechanochemical treatment of MgO + Nb 2 O 5 under dry N 2 atmosphere. The nanocomposite, MgNb 2 O 6 + 0.25Zn 0.5 Cd 0.5 S, was prepared by mechanical admixing of MgNb 2 O 6 and Zn 0.5 Cd 0.5 S taken in 4:1 molar ratio. The photoluminescence study shows violet, yellow and orange-red emissions by the MgNb 2 O 6 + 0.25Zn 0.5 Cd 0.5 S composite. The observed dielectric constant value (ε) for MgNb 2 O 6 + 0.25Zn 0.5 Cd 0.5 S is only 4.7, which is ∼5 times smaller than the ε value of MgNb 2 O 6 while a dielectric loss for the composite being closer to zero ensures promising commercial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TiO 2 is one of the most common and high usages known materials and solar cells generation technology, diodes, types of optical and gas sensors, optoelectronic devices, etc. TiO 2 is widely used as photocatalyst due to interest optical and electrical properties. Carbon nanotubes have attracted many attentions due to many advantages and applications. In this work, TiO 2 nanoparticles are synthesized by a sol-gel method, then for increasing of CNTs optical properties, CNTs are decorated by TiO 2 nanoparticles. Photocatalytic, photoluminescence and UV–vis tests are used for investigation of TiO 2 /MWCNT nanocomposites optical properties. The composite structure is confirmed by using XRD and FTIR. The SEM and EDX techniques are used for synthesized nanocomposite morphology investigation. The results exhibit CNTs optical properties increase by decorating them by TiO 2 nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnO-NiO nanocomposites thin films were elaborated at different mixing concentrations using sol gel and spin coating methods. Their structural and morphological evolutions as well as the optical and electrical properties were investigated. XRD diffraction and Raman spectra allowed phase identifications of ZnO (zinc oxide) and NiO (nickel oxide) with no appearance of secondary phases and the crystallinity of elaborated nanocomposite films improved with doping concentration increase. The grain sizes of obtained ZnO-NiO nanocomposites are investigated by AFM (Atomic force microscopy); they increase in the range (10–65 nm) and they are observed to affect the optical and electrical properties. In fact, ZnO-NiO nanocomposites thin films optical reflectivity decreased in the range (10–5%) with the increasing of mixing proportion and their resistivity decreased up to 1.4 10 2 Ω cm. The optical band gaps were in the range (3.3–4 eV). The values obtained by UV–Vis spectroscopy and ellipsometry are quite similar. We remarked also that the NiO concentration increase on to the nanocomposite induced a red shift of the gap value while the ZnO increase led toward a blue shift [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silver Nanowire-Polyaniline (AgNWs-PANI) composite modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was fabricated for the sensitive electrochemical determination of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). AgNWs-PANI composite was synthesized in two steps process. The synthesized AgNWs-PANI was characterized by UV–vis, FTIR, SEM and TEM analysis. The electrochemical reduction determination of 4-NP under optimized conditions exhibited a reduction peak at −0.77 V with higher current response compared with bare GCE and AgNWs modified glassy carbon electrode (AgNWs/GCE). Effect of pH and scan rate was investigated to examine the proton transfer number, electron transfer number, electron transfer coefficient and standard rate constant of electrode. Under optimized condition, the reduction peak current and the concentration of 4-NP exhibits the linear relation with the concentration range from 0.6–32 μM, and the limit of detection was determined to be 52 nM (S/N = 3). Although, AgNWs-PANI/GCE were applied to detect the determination the 4-NP in real water samples at the recover ranging from 97.0–101.5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report the synthesis of Mg(OH) 2 NPs and Mg(OH) 2 –rGO nanocomposites (NCs) by microwave assisted co-precipitation method. The crystal phase, structural morphology and functional groups of the as-synthesized samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Raman spectroscopy was used to study the defects in the samples. Raman spectroscopy and the SEM results validate the growth of Mg(OH) 2 NPs on the rGO nanosheets. The chemical composition of the prepared samples was analyzed by EDAX. Optical properties of the as-synthesized samples were studied by UV–visible spectroscopy and the energy band gap was calculated by Tauc relation which shows a decrease in band gap with an increase in the amount of Graphene Oxide (GO) in the NCs. The dielectric properties were studied as a function of frequency over a range of 50 Hz to 5 MHz at room temperature. The value of dielectric constant decreases with an increase in frequency, this could be due to the existence of a polarization process at the border of the rGO sheets and Mg(OH) 2 NPs. The value of dielectric loss shows a decreasing trend with an increase in frequency whereas the larger value of AC conductivity in Mg(OH) 2 –rGO NCs as compared to Mg(OH) 2 NPs approves the restoration of sp 2 network in the graphene sheets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, undoped and Mn-doped PbS/PVA nanocomposite films have been successfully fabricated using the simple solution-casting method. Their crystalline structure was examined by X -ray powder diffraction (XRD). XRD pattern show the formation of cubic structure of PbS for Mn-doped PbS in PVA matrix. Microstructure parameters of Mn-doped PbS/PVA nanocomposite films were obtained through the size-strain plot (SSP) method. The thermal stability of the nanocomposite film was determined using Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Furthermore, Z-scan technique was used to investigate the optical nonlinearity of nanocomposite films by a continuous-wave laser irradiation at the wavelength of 655 nm. This experimental results show that undoped PbS/PVA nanocomposite films indicate high nonlinear absorption characteristics. Moreover, the nanocomposite films with easy preparation characteristics, high thermal stability and nonlinear absorption properties can be used as an active element in optics and photonic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Materials that are both stretchable and electrically conductive enable a broad spectrum of applications in sensing, actuating, electronics, optics and energy storage. The materials engineering concept of stretchable conductors is primarily based on combining nanowires, nanoribbons, nanoparticles, or nanocarbons with rubbery polymers to obtain composites with different abilities to transport charge and alter their nanoscale organization under strain. Although some of these composites reveal remarkably interesting multiscale reconfigurability and self-assembly phenomena, decreasing conductance with increased strain has restricted their widespread implementation. In a broader physical sense, the dependence of conductance on stress is undesirable because it requires a correlated change of electrical inputs. In this paper, we describe highly conductive and deformable sheets with a conductivity as high as 230 000 S cm-1, composed of silver nanoparticles, infiltrated within a porous aramid nanofiber (ANF) matrix. By forming a kirigami pattern, consisting of a regularized network of notches cut within the films, their ultimate tensile strain is improved from ~2% to beyond 100%. The use of ANFs derived from well-known ultrastrong KevlarTM fibers imparts high mechanical performance to the base composite. Importantly, the conductance of the films remains constant, even under large deformation resulting in a material with a zero conductance gradient. Unlike other nanocomposites for which strain and conductance are strongly coupled, the kirigami nanocomposite provides a pathway to demanding applications for flexible and stretchable electronics with power/voltage being unaffected by the deformation mode and temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To exploit the application potential of Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) in optical limiting materials, it is significant to develop AgNPs doped polymeric hybrid materials. In this paper, spherical AgNPs were prepared using the seeding growth method. An additional silica coating was employed to obtain the Ag@SiO 2 core-shell materials. Then Ag@SiO 2 was doped into polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS) rubbers to investigate their optical limiting property to laser at 532 nm. The results showed that the Ag@SiO 2 doped PDMS rubber exhibited good optical limiting effect, which should be attributed to the nonlinear optical absorption and refraction. The AgNPs-PDMS hybrid materials would be very promising in optical limiting application area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnCuMnS [(0 ≤ x ≤ 0.1), (0 ≤ y ≤ 0.1)] nanostructures have been synthesized by facile chemical co-precipitation technique at room temperature. Crystallographic, topographical and morphological characterization of synthesized nanomaterials have been done by X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscope and Transmission Electron Microscope, respectively. Synthesized nanoparticles crystallizes in zinc blende structure having average crystallite size nearly 2-3 nm. Comparison of the diffraction and electron microscopy studies reveal the formation of single nanocrystals. The energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic studies have been carried for the detailed quantitative and qualitative analysis of synthesized nanostructures. Optical characterization of synthesized nanomaterials has been done by UV-visible absorption and steady state photoluminescence spectroscopic studies. The room temperature energy resolved photoluminescence (PL) spectra show multi-chromatic emissions originating from the host and dopant related defect states. The photo-catalytic activity of synthesized nanomaterials under UV irradiation have been tested using methylene blue (MB) dye as test contaminant in aqueous media. Photo-physical and photo-chemical behaviour dependence on doping concentration has been thoroughly studied to explore the potential of synthesized nanomaterials for next era opto-electronic industrial applications as well as polluted water purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanostructured composites based on layered niobates KNb 3 O 8 , K 3 Н 3 Nb 10.8 O 30 and HNb 3 O 8 as well as C 3 N 4 were obtained. It was established that the rate of hydrogen evolution from electron donors water solutions under visible light using composites niobate/C 3 N 4 as photocatalysts significantly exceeds the rate value for an individual C 3 N 4 . This phenomenon was explained by an effective separation of photogenerated charges between the components of the composite and thus a decrease of the electron-hole recombination. Transition from an individual C 3 N 4 to the composites niobate/C 3 N 4 allows significantly extend the list of an effective electron donor compounds for the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the structural and optical properties of ZnO/ZnTiO nanocomposites synthesized at various calcination temperatures ranging from 500 to 900 °C by a simple hydrothermal process without using any dispersant agents. The XRD results reveal the coexistence of ZnO and ZnTiO phases when calcined at 600-900 °C, however, only pure ZnO phase appears when calcined at 500 °C for 1 h. Functional groups were identified by FTIR spectroscopic technique, which exhibit characteristic infrared absorption bands of ZnO/ZnTiO nanocomposites. The synthesized composites have absorbance at a wavelength of 300 and 370 nm and the band gap energy of the ZnO/ZnTiO nanocomposite system is tuned by varying the calcination temperature. The morphology of the particles were visualized by TEM analysis which shows the morphology changing from irregular particles to uniform spherical, rod and cubic structures while increasing the temperature from 500 to 900 °C. All the samples show interesting broad blue and green emission at about 490 and 530 nm. Incidentally, the emission intensity of the composite ZnO/ZnTiO phase is stronger than that of pure ZnO phase prepared at 700 and 900 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the hybridization of ZnO with natural dyes [Laali, Zobo] or synthetic dye [methyl red] forming ZnO-laali, ZnO-zobo and ZnO-methyl red nanocomposites in bright colours. The structural, optical and dye photosensitization influence of the hybrid nanocomposites were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), UV-Visible absorption spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL). The surface plasmon absorption band of ZnO-laali and ZnO-zobo shifts towards red and blue, respectively, with significantly enhanced absorption intensities, indicating the interaction and optical influence of the respective dyes in photosensitization. Optical and absorption character of ZnO methyl red and bare ZnO are similar indicating the insignificant effect of methyl red on photosensitization. PL spectra of ZnO-laali and ZnO-zobo display enhanced UV light emission due not only to the surface electron transfer from their respective inherent isoplumbagin and anthocyanin to ZnO but also to the extension of the Fermi energy level to the ZnO. Dyes adopted influence the optical band gaps of the evolved hybrid nanocomposites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, nanocomposite (NC) films of citric acid (CA)-modified zinc oxide (ZnO) and polycaprolactone (PCL) were fabricated by solvent casting and evaporation method. The prepared films were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Then, the effect of the CA-ZnO content on physiochemical properties of the PCL/ZnO-CA NCs was studied. The results of mechanical tests showed enhanced tensile strength and Elastic modulus for the prepared NCs. The FE-SEM images showed relative changes in the morphology of the NCs by increasing the nanoparticles (NP)s content. In vitro bioactivity test of the obtained NCs was performed in simulated body fluid which showed the formation of hydroxyapatite and indicated that the new NCs are bioactive. It was further found that the NPs concentration in the NC films had affected their optical absorption, thermal properties and surface wettability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we examined the electrochemical synthesis, optical properties and morphology of a novel ZnO/Poly( N -phenylmaleimide- co -hydroxyethyl methacrylate) nanocomposite (ZnO/Poly( N -PhMI- co -HEMA). The formation of ZnO in presence of the copolymer was studied by cyclic voltammetry. The nanocomposite was synthesized by the electrodeposition of Zn 2 + at controlled potential (− 1.1 V) in presence of the Poly( N -PhMI- co -HEMA). Spherical ZnO nanoparticles, with a diameter ranging between 20 and 50 nm, were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The overall morphology of the nanocomposite was determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) from which a grain shape structure, with sizes ranging from 100 to 200 nm, was observed. The presence of the polymeric matrix provoked a slightly increase in the band gap of ZnO as was already determined by UV–Vis. The prepared material can be suitable in the design of electronic devices, in addition to its potential application as biomaterial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]