Investigation on structural, optical, thermal, and dielectric properties of cellulose propionate/styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer/molybdenum nanocomposite prepared by pulsed laser ablation

Abstract

Polymer nanocomposite films of cellulose propionate/styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer/molybdenum (CP/SMAC/Mo) were fabricated by pulsed laser ablation of Mo in the polymer solution for 10, 20, and 30 min. The films were then characterized by various analytical methods. X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed that the addition of Mo to CP/SMAC removed the crystalline peaks of Mo without changing the amorphous nature of the copolymer. According to the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) patterns, Mo atoms were trapped in the amorphous polymer stacks. The energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectrum features C, O, and Mo. FTIR confirmed the embedding of Mo in the polymers. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) were carried out on the samples. The pristine polymer film exhibited a band gap energy of 2.9 eV, which decreased to 2.05 eV because of the loading of the Mo nanoparticles. The intensity of the photoluminescence (PL) peak of the films increases with ablation time such that the absorption intensity of the film at a λmax of 426 nm increases by trifold during the 30 min of irradiation, which is consequently due to the increased amount of Mo in the nanostructure. The incorporation of Mo in the polymer matrix enhances the dielectric constant (ε') (6.28–18.13) and ac conductivity (σac) (3.19 × 10−5–1.12 × 10−4 S/cm) of the polymer with negligible dielectric loss. The results suggest possible technological utilization of these materials in such applications as supercapacitors, light-emitting diodes, and organic optoelectronic devices, among others.