Structural, morphological, optical, and electrical characteristics of polyethylene oxide/ chitosan-copper oxide nanoparticles for optoelectronic applications

Abstract

Different concentrations of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) (0.5, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 wt%) were embedded into the polyethylene oxide/Chitosan (PEO/Chitosan) polymer blend for use in optoelectronic devices. Insertion of CuO NPs rearranged the molecules of PEO/Chitosan, resulting in increasing the crystallinity of nanocomposite samples. The crystal size of CuO NPs was to be 20 nm from the Scherer equation. The homogeneity and compatibility between PEO, Chitosan, and PEO/Chitosan/CuO NPs were confirmed via X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transforms infrared (FT-IR). The appearance of bands at 709 cm−1 and 483 cm−1 confirmed the interaction between CuO NPs and PEO/Chitosan. Incorporating CuO NPs into the PEO/Chitosan blend also resulted in small round nanoparticles and white spots on the surface of PEO/Chitosan, which were cleared from Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) images. Roughness parameters affirmed the increase in surface roughness with adding CuO NPs which leads to an increase in the active site in the blend, this property is useful in many applications. With the introduction of CuO NPs, the peaks at 211 and 278 nm are moved to longer wavelengths. Also, the absorbance of the nanocomposite samples increases with CuO NPs. This demonstrated that PEO/Chitosan and CuO NPs were able to form a complex. The measured absorption edges, extinction coefficient, and band gap energy confirm that the produced nanocomposite films can be employed in optical devices. With the incorporation of CuO NPs to PEO/Chitosan, electrical measurements like dielectric constant, dielectric loss, and ac conductivity were reduced, allowing these nanocomposite samples to be employed in microelectronic applications.