Fully environmental approach to design advanced optical polymer composites with high optoelectronic performance using...

In this study breakthrough methodology has been used to deliver advanced polymer composites based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) integrated with green-synthesized nickel metal complex (NiMC), utilizing a simple casting methodology. The structural and optical characteristics of PVA composite films were studied using XRD, FTIR, and UV-Vis spectroscopy, respectively. Band shifting in FTIR spectra and broadening of sharp peak in PVA composites compared to pure PVA establish strong interaction between NiMC and PVA functional groups. The surface of the films was examined for roughness and phase separation using FESEM investigation. Various optical models were employed to determine the optical band gap (E_g). The E_g decreased from 6.05 eV to 1.69 eV for direct and 1.21 eV for indirect transitions. The increase in Urbach energy from 0.28 to 0.62 eV was correlated with XRD results. The oscillator energy parameters were determined from the empirical Wemple-DiDomenico model. The real and imaginary dielectric constants, volume and surface energy loss functions, optical density, 3rd order susceptibility X⁽³⁾, nonlinear refractive index n⁽²⁾ and skin depth was studied in detail. Optical oscillator strengths(f), optical moments M_- 1 and, and interband strength M_- 3 were also determined. The ( J) and figure of merit (φ) versus hv were used to specify the photons that are capable to electron transfer from HOMO to LOMO orbitals. The optoelectronic parameters, including (N/M^*), t, (w_p ), (u_opt ), (P_opt ), the average interband oscillator wavelength, and average oscillator strength(S_o), were also determined for all the films.