Optical properties and structural characteristics of zinc oxidecerium oxide doped polyvinyl alcohol films

Abstract Influence of zinc oxide cerium oxide (ZnO Ce 2 O 3 ) nanoparticles on the structural characteristics and optical properties of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films have been investigated. The fabricated PVA/ZnO Ce 2 O 3 nanocomposite films have been characterized by UV–visible spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The UV–vis analysis reveals the interaction of ZnO Ce 2 O 3 nanoparticles through hydroxyl groups of PVA. Photoluminescence spectra shows intense emission peaks due to the presence of ZnO Ce 2 O 3 nanoparticles. Microwave irradiation analysis shows the effect of nanoparticles on the degradation profile of PVA. The band gap energy measured based on UV–vis analysis shows enhanced conductivity of PVA films. XRD analysis shows the effect of annealing temperature on the XRD patterns of PVA. DSC analysis shows reduction in percentage of crystallinity with an increase in annealing temperatures and nanoparticles concentration. Thermal analysis by TGA shows enhanced thermal stability for the nanocomposites as compared to the PVA matrix. The data generated from these investigations will support the PVA nanocomposites for possible applications in opto-electronic devices.