Optoelectric characteristics of PVC/SrxZnO nanocomposite films

Poly(Vinyl)Chloride (PVC) films modified by SrxZnO nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by a simple casting method utilizing its solution in tetrahydrofuran (THF). The PVC films contained 5 wt% of SrxZnO NPs. SrxZnO particles with 0.00, 0.025, 0.05, 0.075 and 0.1 Sr-doping levels were synthesized by the sol-gel method associated with a hydrothermal process. The PVC/SrxZnO films were characterized by XRD, FTIR, Raman, SEM, UV–Visible and PL spectroscopy. XRD analysis demonstrated that SrxZnO into PVC matric are well crystallized in the hexagonal ZnO structure with wurtzite phase, while PVC is in an amorphous state. The particle sizes of SrxZnO vary in the range of 17–31 nm in agreement with the Sr levels. The ATR and Raman spectroscopy verified the existence of a Zn–O bond related to the wurtzite phase. The SEM cross-section views of the films revealed the bulk nature as well as the thicknesses. Strong emission at 733 nm is observed from the PL analysis, associated with Sr content in the PVC/SrxZnO films. Reflectivity, transmittance, and absorption coefficient confirmed the contribution of the physics developed by SrxZnO NPs into the PVC matrix. Urback energies are Sr-level dependent, as a consequence of defects tailoring. Optical transitions (directly and indirectly allowed) decrease in some cases by close to 1 eV indicating a transition of PVC to a semi-crystalline material. Other optical properties including linear and nonlinear characteristics promoted PVC/SrxZnO as a serious candidate for antireflective coating, and a new generation of photovoltaic cells.