Structural and optical investigations on ZnO-PVDF-NiO advanced polymer composites for modern electronic devices

Abstract

Abstract Polymer composites are recently introduced as flexible candidates for modern electronic devices. Transition metals oxides incorporated PVDF polymer composite thin films were successfully synthesized and investigated for an optical response. The effect of ZnO and NiO nanoparticles as PVDF fillers is studied in this work. Experimentally pure and doped PVDF uniform and evenly distributed thin films were synthesized by sol-gel based spin coating method. Structural studies were carried out with x-ray diffraction analysis which reveals the sharp traces of ZnO and NiO and endorses the presence of crystalline fillers in PVDF polymer composite thin films. The Field emission scanning electron microscope was used to examine the surface morphology of prepared thin films containing a smooth, uniform distribution and compact polymer traces. Refractive index, extinction, absorption coefficient, reflectivity, optical conductivity and real epsilon were extracted using spectroscopic ellipsometry. Enhanced response of optical parameters was observed in nanoparticles containing PVDF polymer composites. The absorption coefficient seems to increase with the increment of nano-filler contents, which makes these materials suitable for photovoltaic applications. The maxima of the refractive index were recorded as 1.6 for pure PVDF and 2.1 for maximum nano-filler content with an incredible shift to higher energy values. The optical conductivity was observed to increase with the incorporation of nanoparticles in PVDF. The maximum values of real epsilon were recorded as 2.3 for pure PVDF and 3.9 for the highest nano-filler containing composition. The increasing trend of real epsilon in nano-fillers containing compositions is attributed to the enhanced polarization and storage capability of these composites. The outcomes of this work are considered that ZnO-PVDF-NiO advanced polymer composites are promising candidates for enhanced modern electronic devices.