Synthesis, Optical, Chemical and Thermal Characterizations of PMMA-PS/CeO2 Nanoparticles Thin Film

Abstract

We report the synthesis of hybrid thin films based on polymethyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and polystyrene (PS) doped with 1%, 3%, 5%, and 7% of cerium dioxide nanoparticles (CeO2 NPs). The As-prepared thin films of (PMMA-PS) incorporated with CeO2 NPs are deposited on a glass substrate. The transmittance T% (λ) and reflectance R% (λ) of PMMA-PS/CeO2 NPs thin films are measured at room temperature in the spectral range (250–700) nm. High transmittance of 87% is observed in the low-energy regions. However, transmittance decreases sharply to a vanishing value in the high-energy region. In addition, as the CeO2 NPs concentration is increased, a red shift of the absorption edge is clearly observed suggesting a considerable decrease in the band gap energy of PMMA-PS/CeO2 NPs thin film. The optical constants (n and k) and related key optical and optoelectronic parameters of PMMA-PS/Ce NPs thin films are reported and interpreted. Furthermore, Tauc and Urbach models are employed to elucidate optical behavior and calculate the band gaps of the as-synthesized nanocomposite thin films. The optical band gap energy of PMMA-PS thin film is found to be 4.03 eV. Optical band gap engineering is found to be possible upon introducing CeO2 NPs into PMMA-PS polymeric thin films as demonstrated clearly by the continuous decrease of optical band gap upon increasing CeO2 content. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis is conducted to identify the major vibrational modes of the nanocomposite. The peak at 541.42 cm−1 is assigned to Ce–O and indicates the incorporation of CeO2 NPs into the copolymers matrices. There were drastic changes to the width and intensity of the vibrational bands of PMMA-PS upon addition of CeO2 NPs. To examine the chemical and thermal stability, thermogravimetric (TGA) thermograms are measured. We found that (PMMA-PVA)/CeO2 NPs nanocomposite thin films are thermally stable below 110 °C. Therefore, they could be key candidate materials for a wide range of scaled multifunctional smart optical and optoelectronic devices.

Optical and Electrical Properties of Polystyrene/Poly‐methyl methacrylate Polymeric Blend Filled with Semiconductor and Insulator Nanofillers

“…The obtained E g(direct) and E g(indirect) of pure 20PS/80PMMA are calculated to be 4.460 and 4.434 eV, respectively, which match with previously reported values. [ 44 ] E g(direct) values of 20PS/80PMMA blend filled with PANI, ZnO NPs, and TiO 2 NPs are 4.385, 4.412, and 4.425, respectively. As previously stated, the 20PS/80PMMA/MWCNTs nanocomposite has the lowest E g(direct) value of 4.361 eV due to the presence of numerous free electrons.…”

Nude and Modified Electrospun Nanofibers, Application to Air Purification

“…The polymeric chain contains hydrophobic (methylene) and hydrophilic (carbonyl) groups in each monomeric unit [ 39 ]. This polymer could be modified to enhance the capture of VOCs [ 40 ] using cyclodextrins (as α-cyclodextrin (α-CD), β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CD)) due the ability to form host-guest inclusion complexes). In addition, the PMMA shows potential as an encapsulation material due its high chemical stability, biocompatibility and nontoxicity [ 41 ].…”

Synthesis and Morphology Characteristics of PMMA/CeO2/SiO2 Nanostructures for Antibacterial Application

“…CeO 2 NPs are transparent in the visible region and have a refractive index of 2.2 at a wavelength of 632 nm. Pure CeO 2 exhibits a wide indirect optical band gap and energy-wide band gap that operates effectively in the ultraviolet region, and thus, it could be an excellent choice for different optical and electronic applications [6]. Silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) commonly referred to as silica, which may exist in the amorphous and crystalline structure, was found to be useful filler for improving the mechanical performance of polymeric materials.…”