Structural, morphological and electrical properties of PVA/Au nanocomposite films

Abstract In the present work, the preparation of nanocomposite films of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) embedded with in situ generated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) by UV-B irradiation is reported. The formation of AuNPs showed surface Plasmon resonance (SPR) peak in the wavelength range of 532–558 nm, confirmed by UV–Visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the crystalline nature of the AuNPs with FCC crystal structure. FT-IR analysis suggests the interaction between AuNPs and PVA through intra/intermolecular hydrogen bonding. Surface morphology was found by scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis. The as-prepared PVA/Au nanocomposite films showed enhanced electrical conductivity over pure PVA.