Synthesis, structural, optical and photoluminescence properties of hybrid PVA/ZnO nanocomposite membrane

This article has attempted to produce and characterize PVA/ZnO nanocomposite membranes with varying percentages of zinc oxide nanoparticles for appropriate applications. Polymer-nanocomposite membranes were created using the solution-cast approach, utilizing a matrix of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (i.e., (PVA)_–x wt% ZnO; x = 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 wt%). FTIR spectroscopy, scan electron microscope (SEM), surface roughness (SR), and optical microscopy techniques (UV–visible, and photoluminescence) were used to study the development and alterations in the structuralism and optically feature of the nanocomposite membranes. Scanning electron microscopy and a surface roughness tester were used to clarify the surface morphology of PVA/ZnO hybrid membranes. FTIR spectra clearly show the interactions that exist between ZnO and the host PVA polymer matrix. SEM micrographs demonstrated that the PVA polymer matrix contains a dispersed collection of homogeneously distributed nanofillers. It is interesting that nanofillers own an impact on the surface roughness of PVA membrane. PVA-ZnO hybrid membranes exhibit a red shift in their optical absorption spectra as the ZnO ratio increases. The direct band gap decreases from 5.60 to 4.30 eV and the indirect band gap decreases from 4.80 to 3.40 eV as the ZnO content increases. The amended optical parameters, like absorbance and band gap, refractive index, complex dielectric permittivity accentuate the adaptability of these nanostructures in several optoelectronic applications. According to photoluminescence investigations, the strength of the resultant emission changes as ZnO nanoparticle concentration changes.