A study on optical and thermal properties of natural polymer-based hemicellulose compounds

Films of husks of Plantango ovate, Cydonia oblonga, Mimosa pudica, Cochlospermum religiosum were prepared, delignified without protein and cellulose content, and their optical properties were evaluated. UV-Vis, FTIR TGA analysis revealed that these natural materials have strong potential in fiber optics, contact lenses and human transplantation infrastructure applications, where there is need of efficient transparency, high thermal stability and good conductivity with minimum light absorption. These natural polymeric films possess significant direct and indirect optical band gap values and better optical conductivity than currently in use synthetic polymeric materials. The Refractive index of these films is also found high in the visible region in comparison to pure or composite metal-doped synthetic films. Urbach energy (Eu), Dispersion energy (Ed), Average oscillation wavelength (λ₀), and oscillation strength(S₀) of this hemicellulose based natural polymeric films were found to be appropriate for such optical materials which are green, organic, economical and compatible to human systems.