Structural, thermal, and linear/nonlinear optical performance of PVA/CMC polymer blend doped with ZnS/V prepared at different temperatures

Abstract

PVA/CMC blend loaded with Zn0.9V0.1S prepared at different temperatures (T = 200, 300, 400 or 500 °C) were synthesized utilizing solid state reaction and casting methods. Applying Rietveld method, the cell parameter, the crystallite size, and the lattice microstrain of the nanofiller Zn0.9V0.1S were determined at the various preparation temperatures. The elemental analysis and the distribution of the nanofillers over the blend’s matrix were investigated using X-ray diffraction, SEM and FTIR techniques. The influence of ZnS/V doping on the thermal stability of PVA/CMC was explored using thermogravimetric analysis technique. The optical features for the pure and doped PVA/CMC polymer blends with ZnS/V were explored using diffused reflectance technique. The direct and indirect Eg values for PVA/CMC are 5.79 and 5.03 eV, respectively. Upon loading, Eg decreased nonmonotonically with T, reaching lowest values (4.51, 2.43) eV for nanofiller prepared at T = 200 °C. The consequences of ZnS/V doping on the fluorescence intensity and emitted colors from different blends were explored. The obtained results are significant for designing novel organic/inorganic polymer blend for emerging technologies.