Effect of functionalization on the optical properties of polymer-based nanostructure

Polymer nanomaterials are an emanating area of research incited by the wide range of applications in solar cells, catalysis, sensors, drug delivery, electronics, bioimaging, etc., due to their outstanding mechanical, optical and electronic properties. Small dimensions in the nanometre range and a high surface-to-volume ratio of polymer nanomaterials possess distinctive features compared to bulk counterparts. In this work, doped polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanostructures were prepared by a one-step hydrothermal synthesis method and studied the morphological, structural and optical properties. The attained nanomaterials exhibit a spherical shape, and their average size was calculated as 3.98 nm by HR-TEM analysis. The obtained nanomaterials are dissolved in N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) solvent and can be employed for optoelectronic devices due to their amorphous structure and direct bandgap. Green luminescence was observed under UV light, and non-biocidal activity showed against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas fluorescens, E. coli DH5α, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus.