Investigation on structural, optical, thermal, and dielectric properties of nanocomposite films based on chitosan containing vanadium pentoxide/zinc oxide and their potential for optoelectronics devices

Abstract

Chitosan (Cs), zinc oxide (ZnO), and vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) nanoparticles (NPs) have been used to create ternary nanocomposite materials to improve their optical and electrical characterization. Physical methods have been used to investigate the effects of varying vanadium pentoxide nanoparticle contents on the optical and electrical characterization of the prepared films. In XRD results obtained, the characteristic peaks of pure chitosan are seen to be broken and vanished (especially at 15 wt.% V2O5 NPs). This means that when chitosan is filled with different concentrations of V2O5 nanoparticles, chitosan is very weak and simply broken, and only characteristic peaks of V2O5 appear. The average crystal size of V2O5 has been determined to be 25.4 nm. FTIR spectra approve the strong complexation between the nanoparticles and hydrogen bonds in the composite. The study suggests that the addition of zinc and vanadium nanoparticles to chitosan-based films can improve their thermal stability, which has potential applications in various industries, including packaging, biomedical, and environmental. Electrical studies indicate that as the content of embedded zinc/vanadium-filled-in chitosan rises, the ε′ value decreases. The observed decrease in the insulating behavior of chitosan aligns with the notion that doping reduces its insulating properties. This aligns with the enhanced electrical conductivity evident from the DC conductivity measurements. The study demonstrates that incorporating zinc oxide (ZnO) and vanadium pentoxide nanoparticles effectively influences the dielectric properties and relaxation behavior of chitosan. The given results suggest Ternary nano-composite chitosan-ZnO/V2O5 films for specific requirements in optical, optoelectronic applications.