Influence of polymer matrices on the structural, morphological, thermal, and optical properties of PbS nanoparticles embedded in electrospun nanofibers

Abstract

The development of electrospun nanomaterials with tunable optical and structural properties has significant implications for various applications. Herein, we develop a controllable and efficient strategy for in situ-grown Lead sulfide (PbS) nanoparticles (NPs) in the electrospun PVA-PVP blend nanofibers. The fibrous mats have been synthesized for different concentrations of PbS NPs grown in the PVA-PVP blend along with its parent polymers, PVA and PVP. The study uniquely enables the in-situ growth of PbS NPs within these matrices, resulting in nanofibers with tunable optical and structural properties. The synthesized PbS/Polymer nanofibers exhibit significant variation in bandgap values, ranging from 2.7 to 1.16 eV for PbS concentrations between 0.05 M and 0.2 M across all polymer matrices. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the interaction between the PbS NPs and polymer matrix does not solely result in simple additive effects. The observed results have been comprehensively analyzed, considering the intricate effects of quantum confinement.