Multifunctional performance of PVA-PVP/ZnO nanocomposites: optical, dielectric and ac conductivity analysis

Abstract

Polyvinyl alcohol/Polyvinyl pyrrolidone/Zinc oxide (PVA/PVP/ZnO) polymer blend nanocomposites has been prepared to explore their optical and transport properties. The prepared sample are characterized by X-ray diffraction, Atomic force microscope, Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, UV-visible spectroscopy and Fourier transform infra-red for structural, morphological, elemental and optical properties. The gradual reduction in the optical band gap energy from 5.30 eV to 2.10 eV is observed when the ZnO content in the PVA/PVP blend matrix increases. The nanocomposites also exhibit negligible transmittance in the UV region, indicating their potential for UV-shielding applications. The dielectric constant values of these nanocomposites are found in the range 14-23 with dielectric loss value of 0.06. The conduction mechanism observed in AC conductivity for all samples is governed by small polaron tunnelling model (SPTM). These results suggest that PVA/PVP/ZnO nanocomposites are suitable candidates for use as an insulator in the development of microelectronic device applications.