STM Journals Peer-reviewed research from Consortium e-Learning Network

Journal of Polymer & Composites Original Research Special issue Open Access

Structural, Electrical and Optical Properties of RGO-Incorporated PVA Nanocomposites for UV Shielding Applications

  1. Reddyvari Venugopal Department of Physics, Govt. Degree College, Mahabubabad, Mahabubabad
  2. CH. Srinivas Department of Physics, University College of Engineering(A), Osmania University, Hyderabad

Abstract

Polymer matrix-based nanocomposites reinforced with appropriate nanoparticles have the potential to exhibit improved electrical, optical and mechanical properties, as well as improved UV-shielding capabilities. These materials are currently being utilised for various commercial applications, such as window shields and automotive components. We prepared reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-incorporated polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) polymer nanocomposites employing a solution casting method. XRD and SEM results confirmed that the rGO nanosheets were dispersed well in the PVA polymer matrix. The presence of rGO in PVA matrices leads to a decrease in the glass transition temperature (Tg) to 87.9 ° C from 101 ° C for pure PVA, where the melting point increases from 200 to 228 ° C. The 0.9 wt.% rGO-reinforced PVA nanocomposites exhibited an increase in DC conductivity of 1.1x10-8 S/cm at room temperature. The activation energy for PVA incorporated with 0.9 wt.% rGO was 0.096 eV instead of 0.105 eV for PVA. UV-visible spectroscopy investigations were conducted within the wavelength interval between 190 and 1100 nm, during which the absorption edge, the direct band gap, the indirect bandgap, and the Urbach energy were calculated. The UV-Vis absorbance of the composite films exhibits an upward trend as the concentration of nanofillers increases. This outcome holds potential for the utilisation of films as ultraviolet filters. The nanocomposite of PVA-rGO, comprising 0.9 wt.% of rGO nanofiller, exhibited a reduction in the direct band gap from 6.15 eV to 5.0 eV. Similarly, the indirect bandgap also experienced a decrease from 4.72 eV to 3.86 eV. Furthermore, the Urbach energy displayed an increase from 0.402 eV to 0.460 eV for a concentration of 0.9 wt% rGO. The UV shielding ability (% blocking of UV radiation) of the PVA-rGO nanocomposite films monotonically increased from 45.6% for pure PVA to 83.3% for the 0.9 wt.% rGO-incorporated PVA-rGO nanocomposite films. The findings of this study indicate that the utilisation of PVA-rGO nanocomposite materials has the potential to offer significant benefits in various areas such as UV protection, photo detection, adjustable bandgap devices, optical devices controlled by refractive index, and advanced flexible optoelectronic devices.

Keywords

References (44)

  1. Wang C, Gao H, Liang D, Liu S, Zhang H, Guan H, et al. Effective fabrication of flexible nickel chains/acrylate composite pressure-sensitive adhesives with layered structure for tunable electromagnetic interference shielding. Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials. 2022;5(4):2906-2920. doi:10.1007/s42114-022-00482-7
  2. Wu Y, Huang K, Weng X, Wang R, Du P, Liu J, et al. PVB coating efficiently improves the high stability of EMI shielding fabric with Cu/Ni. Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials. 2022;5(1):71-82. doi:10.1007/s42114-021-00401-2
  3. Ashraf MN, Guo Z, Wu R, Jhiao W, Xiao Chun M, Gorar AAK. Historical Progress in Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Effectiveness of Conventional Mg Alloys Leading to Mg‐Li‐Based Alloys: A Review. Advanced Engineering Materials. 2023;25(21). doi:10.1002/adem.202300732
  4. Zhang Q, Wang Q, Cui J, Zhao S, Zhang G, Gao A, et al. Structural design, and preparation of Ti3C2TxMXene/polymer composites for absorption-dominated electromagnetic interference shielding. Nanoscale Advances 2023;5:3549–74. https://doi.org/10.1039/d3na00130j.
  5. Liao Q, Liu H, Chen Z, Zhang Y, Xiong R, Cui Z, et al. Flexible and ultrathin dopamine modified MXene and cellulose nanofiber composite films with alternating multilayer structure for superior electromagnetic interference shielding performance. Frontiers of Physics. 2023;18(3). doi:10.1007/s11467-022-1234-6
  6. Cheng J, Li C, Xiong Y, Zhang H, Raza H, Ullah S, et al. Recent Advances in Design Strategies and Multifunctionality of Flexible Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Materials. Nano-Micro Letters. 2022;14(1). doi:10.1007/s40820-022-00823-7
  7. Tan Y, Xue Y, Li K, Liu S, Tan F, Wu X, et al. PVDF/MWCNTs/RGO@Fe3O4/AgNWs composite film with a bilayer structure for high EMI shielding and electrical conductivity. Polymer Composites. 2023;46(2):1161-1176. doi:10.1002/pc.27803
  8. Satheesh Goud J, Narsimlu N. Synthesis and Characterization of TiO2 nanoparticles in PVA Polymer Matrix. IOSR Journal of Applied Physics 2021; 13 : 50-55.
  9. Ikram M, Inayat T, Haider A, Ul-Hamid A, Haider J, Nabgan W, et al. Graphene Oxide-Doped MgO Nanostructures for Highly Efficient Dye Degradation and Bactericidal Action. Nanoscale Research Letters. 2021;16(1). doi:10.1186/s11671-021-03516-z
  10. Kumar D, Rawat P, Purohit JK. Synthesis MgO nanopowder using Sol-gel technique: A critical review.
  11. Khaleel WA, Sadeq SA, Alani IAM, Ahmed MHM. Magnesium oxide (MgO) thin film as saturable absorber for passively mode locked erbium-doped fiber laser. Optics & Laser Technology. 2019;115:331-336. doi:10.1016/j.optlastec.2019.02.042
  12. Ahmed H, Abduljalil HM, Hashim A. Structural, Optical and Electronic Properties of Novel (PVA–MgO)/SiC Nanocomposites Films for Humidity Sensors. Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials. 2019;20(3):218-232. doi:10.1007/s42341-019-00111-z
  13. Du L, Li Z, Ding S, Chen C, Qu S, Yi W, et al. Synthesis and characterization of carbon-based MgO catalysts for biodiesel production from castor oil. Fuel. 2019;258:116122. doi:10.1016/j.fuel.2019.116122
  14. Qian XF, Yin J, Huang JC, Yang YF, Guo XX, Zhu ZK. The preparation and characterization of PVA/Ag2S nanocomposite. Materials Chemistry and Physics. 2001;68(1-3):95-97. doi:10.1016/s0254-0584(00)00288-1
  15. Hager MD, Bode S, Weber C, Schubert US. Shape memory polymers: Past, present and future developments. Progress in Polymer Science. 2015;49-50:3-33. doi:10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2015.04.002
  16. Aslam M, Kalyar MA, Raza ZA. Investigation of structural and thermal properties of distinct nanofillers-doped PVA composite films. Polymer Bulletin. 2018;76(1):73-86. doi:10.1007/s00289-018-2367-1
  17. Goumri M, Poilâne C, Ruterana P, Doudou BB, Wéry J, Bakour A, et al. Synthesis and characterization of nanocomposites films with graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide nanosheets. Chinese Journal of Physics. 2017;55(2):412-422. doi:10.1016/j.cjph.2016.12.012
  18. Feng X, Wang X, Xing W, Yu B, Song L, Hu Y. Simultaneous Reduction and Surface Functionalization of Graphene Oxide by Chitosan and Their Synergistic Reinforcing Effects in PVA Films. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. 2013;52(36):12906-12914. doi:10.1021/ie402073x
  19. A RR, Srinivas C, Narsimlu N. Morphology and optical absorption studies of RGO reinforced PVB nanocomposite films. Materials Today: Proceedings. 2022;67:912-916. doi:10.1016/j.matpr.2022.07.391
  20. Aslam M, Kalyar MA, Raza ZA. Fabrication of reduced graphene oxide nanosheets doped PVA composite films for tailoring their opto-mechanical properties. Applied Physics A. 2017;123(6). doi:10.1007/s00339-017-1035-x
  21. Kadhim MA, Al-Bermany E. Structural and DC-electrical properties of novel PMMA-PVA nanocomposites reinforced with graphene nanosheets. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. 2021;1067(1):012120. doi:10.1088/1757-899x/1067/1/012120
  22. Konios D, Stylianakis MM, Stratakis E, Kymakis E. Dispersion behaviour of graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science. 2014;430:108-112. doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2014.05.033
  23. Sheik S, Sheik S, Nairy R, Nagaraja GK, Prabhu A, Rekha PD, et al. Study on the morphological and biocompatible properties of chitosan grafted silk fibre reinforced PVA films for tissue engineering applications. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. 2018;116:45-53. doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.05.019
  24. Siwal SS, Zhang Q, Devi N, Thakur VK. Carbon-Based Polymer Nanocomposite for High-Performance Energy Storage Applications. Polymers. 2020;12(3):505. doi:10.3390/polym12030505
  25. Waremra RS, Betaubun P. Analysis of Electrical Properties Using the four point Probe Method. E3S Web of Conferences. 2018;73:13019. doi:10.1051/e3sconf/20187313019
  26. Ambegaokar V, Halperin BI, Langer JS. Hopping Conductivity in Disordered Systems. Physical Review B. 1971;4(8):2612-2620. doi:10.1103/physrevb.4.2612
  27. Patidar D, Jain N, Saxena NS, Sharma K, Sharma TP. Electrical properties of CdS/polyaniline heterojunction. Brazilian Journal of Physics. 2006;36(4a):1210-1212. doi:10.1590/s0103-97332006000700016
  28. Park GT, Chang JH. Comparison of Properties of PVA Nanocomposites Containing Reduced Graphene Oxide and Functionalized Graphene. Polymers. 2019;11(3):450. doi:10.3390/polym11030450
  29. Sinha S, Chatterjee SK, Ghosh J, Meikap AK. Electrical transport properties of polyvinyl alcohol–selenium nanocomposite films at and above room temperature. Journal of Materials Science. 2014;50(4):1632-1645. doi:10.1007/s10853-014-8724-z
  30. Zhang Y, Jiang W. Effective strategies to enhance ultraviolet barrier ability in biodegradable polymer-based films/coatings for fruit and vegetable packaging. Trends in Food Science & Technology. 2023;139:104139. doi:10.1016/j.tifs.2023.104139
  31. Kaur R, Singh KP, Tripathi SK. Electrical, linear and non-linear optical properties of MoSe2/PVA nanocomposites as charge trapping elements for memory device applications. Journal of Alloys and Compounds. 2022;905:164103. doi:10.1016/j.jallcom.2022.164103
  32. Bouzidi A, Jilani W, Yahia IS, Zahran HY, Assiri MA. Optical Analysis and UV-Blocking Filter of Cadmium Iodide-Doped Polyvinyl Alcohol Polymeric Composite Films: Synthesis and Dielectric Properties. Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers and Materials. 2020;30(10):3940-3952. doi:10.1007/s10904-020-01534-5
  33. Tsunekawa S, Fukuda T, Kasuya A. Blue shift in ultraviolet absorption spectra of monodisperse CeO2−x nanoparticles. Journal of Applied Physics. 2000;87(3):1318-1321. doi:10.1063/1.372016
  34. Elhosiny Ali H, Algarni H, Yahia IS, Khairy Y. Optical absorption and linear/nonlinear parameters of polyvinyl alcohol films doped by fullerene. Chinese Journal of Physics. 2021;72:270-285. doi:10.1016/j.cjph.2021.04.022
  35. Muhammad FF, Aziz SB, Hussein SA. Effect of the dopant salt on the optical parameters of PVA:NaNO3 solid polymer electrolyte. Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics. 2014;26(1):521-529. doi:10.1007/s10854-014-2430-0
  36. Aziz SB, Hassan AQ, Mohammed SJ, Karim WO, F. Z. Kadir M, A. Tajuddin H, et al. Structural and Optical Characteristics of PVA:C-Dot Composites: Tuning the Absorption of Ultra Violet (UV) Region. Nanomaterials. 2019;9(2):216. doi:10.3390/nano9020216
  37. Makuła P, Pacia M, Macyk W. How To Correctly Determine the Band Gap Energy of Modified Semiconductor Photocatalysts Based on UV–Vis Spectra. The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. 2018;9(23):6814-6817. doi:10.1021/acs.jpclett.8b02892
  38. Gürbulak B, Duman S. Urbach tail and optical characterization of gadolinium-doped TlGaSe2single crystals. Physica Scripta. 2008;77(2):025702. doi:10.1088/0031-8949/77/02/025702
  39. Abu Hurayra–Lizu KM, Bari MW, Gulshan F, Islam MR. GO based PVA nanocomposites: tailoring of optical and structural properties of PVA with low percentage of GO nanofillers. Heliyon. 2021;7(5):e06983. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06983
  40. Zhao L, Zhang M, Mujumdar AS, Adhikari B, Wang H. Preparation of a Novel Carbon Dot/Polyvinyl Alcohol Composite Film and Its Application in Food Preservation. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. 2022;14(33):37528-37539. doi:10.1021/acsami.2c10869
  41. Mohania D, Chandel S, Kumar P, Verma V, Digvijay K, Tripathi D, et al. Ultraviolet Radiations: Skin Defense-Damage Mechanism. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology. 2017:71-87. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-56017-5_7
  42. Ahmed RM, Soliman TS, Vshivkov SA, Khalid A. Influence of Fe2O3@reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite on the structural, morphological, and optical features of the polyvinyl alcohol films for optoelectronic applications. Physica Scripta. 2023;98(5):055928. doi:10.1088/1402-4896/accb15
  43. Wang YY, Yu HY, Yang L, Abdalkarim SYH, Chen WL. Enhancing long-term biodegradability and UV-shielding performances of transparent polylactic acid nanocomposite films by adding cellulose nanocrystal-zinc oxide hybrids. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. 2019;141:893-905. doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.09.062
  44. Ye X, Liu R, Qi X, Wang X, Wang Y, Chen Q, et al. Preparation of bioactive gelatin film using semi-refined pectin reclaimed from blueberry juice pomace: Creating an oxidation and light barrier for food packaging. Food Hydrocolloids. 2022;129:107673. doi:10.1016/j.foodhyd.2022.107673
Support