Microstructural features, spectroscopic study and thermal analysis of potassium permanganate filled PVA-PVP blend...

Potassium permanganate (KMnO₄) filled polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) polymeric blend films have been prepared by solution casting technique, with filler levels (FL) varying from 0.01 up to 4.70 mass%. The microstructural features, thermal properties and spectroscopic properties of these films have been studied using powder XRD, AFM, Fe-SEM, DSC, TG and FTIR. FTIR spectra for filled samples indicated a major molecular structural modification, involving conversion of the hydroxyl (OH) group into ketones at higher FLs. The bands showed a clear distortion in the wide OH band especially at higher FLs of 3.80 mass% and 4.70 mass%. This is confirmed from the TG scans, whose thermal degradation signature reveals multiple stages of degradation for FL of 2.8 mass%, 3.8 mass% and 4.7 mass%. The DSC, TG and DTA curves revealed that value ofT_gwas found to decrease on addition of filler in the PVA-PVP blend, whereas the thermal stability of the filled samples was found to increase. The XRD results revealed that the incorporation of KMnO₄in PVA-PVP blend made the sample more amorphous. At low FLs, AFM and SEM micrographs show evidence for formation of nano-particles in the host polymeric material only at the lowest FL of 0.01 mass% with uniform dispersion of nano-structures, whereas at moderate FLs, there are micro-structures in the polymeric host, followed by agglomeration of filler induced chemical species as the FL increases beyond 2.8 mass%. Therefore, KMnO₄filled PVA-PVP blend films show desirable properties expected from a good solid polymeric electrolyte, for FLs below 1.5 mass%.