Effect of various polymer types on Fe₂O₃ nanocomposite characteristics: insights from microstructural morphological, optical and band gap analyses

This study illustrates the impact of different polymer types on the characteristics of Fe₂O₃. The manufacture of nanocomposites involved the use of polyethylene oxide (PEO), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and Poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) polymers. Nanocomposites were synthesised by combining an aqueous solution of Ferric chloride with various polymers. The Fe₂O₃ nanocomposite, which was polymer-based, was synthesised using an in situ chemical approach to investigate the impact of different polymer types on its primary physical characteristics. The configuration of polymer-based Fe₂O₃ nanocomposites was investigated using diagnostic instruments such as SEM, EDX, and XRD. The modification of the polymer had a clearly noticeable and apparent effect on the optical and structural properties of the nanocomposites. The utilisation of SEM, XRD, and EDX techniques provided confirmation of the successful synthesis of nanocomposites based on Fe₂O₃. The UV–visible spectra were examined to investigate the optical characteristics of the fabricated samples. The bandgaps of the nanocomposites ranged from 1.9 to 2.25 eV. The Urbach energy was also determined for all of the processed samples.