Polymer Testing (Nov 2023)
Preparation and characterization of chitosan/polyethylene oxide nanocomposite films with different concentrations of zirconia nanocomposites
Abstract
This study describes preparing and characterizing chitosan/polyethylene oxide (Cs/PEO) nanocomposite films incorporated with different zirconia nanoparticles (ZrO2 NPs) weight percentages. The study involved the preparation of nanocomposite films using the casting technique, followed by a detailed analysis of their structural, optical, and dielectric properties. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopic measurements confirmed the interaction between Cs/PEO and ZrO2 NPs through hydrogen bonding between the polymeric chain and nanoparticles. The XRD analysis also indicated that the amorphosity of Cs/PEO matrices increased with the addition of ZrO2 NPs. The optical characteristics of the nanocomposite films, including absorption edge, band gap, refractive index, optical dielectric modulus (ε′ and ε′′), and optical conductivity (σ), were studied in detail. The results showed that adding ZrO2 NPs led to the creation of localized states in Cs/PEO and ZrO2 NPs, and the energy band gap reduced from 5.5 to 4.8 eV and from 4.4 to 2.7 eV, respectively. The dielectric measurements were performed, and it was found that both ε′ and ε′′ values were increased as the ZrO2 NPs content decreased and the frequency increased for the nanocomposite films. Additionally, the electrical conductivity was increased by adding ZrO2 NPs due to the presence of mobile charge carriers. Measurements of the real and imaginary dielectric modulus revealed that adding ZrO2 NPs improved both parameters. These findings indicate that the Cs/PEO- ZrO2 NPs nanocomposite films exhibit strong potential for use in optoelectronic devices, owing to their enhanced optical and electrical properties.
