Fabrication and surface characteristics of PVP/ZnO nanocomposites for optical applications

The optical functionality and surface performance of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) were insufficient for advanced flexible optoelectronics applications, which necessitate the inclusion of zinc oxide (ZnO) to modify these characteristics in PVP/ZnO nanocomposites. In this work, the nanocomposites (PVP/ZnO) consisting of PVP and ZnO were fabricated using the casting solution approach. The influence of ZnO on the structures and surface morphology of the PVP/ZnO was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray techniques. The PVP/ZnO composite was successfully produced, as shown by the X-ray diffraction methods. The optical characteristics of the PVP/ZnO were investigated using ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy. The band gap reduced from 4.83 eV for PVP to 2.81 eV for PVP/ZnO, and the absorption edge reduced from 4.81 to 2.76 eV. The adhesion work changed from 61.74 mJ/m2 for PVP to 104.58 mJ/m2 for the PVP/ZnO. In this work, PVP/ZnO films were fabricated to investigate the relationship between structural, surface, and optical properties to develop functional materials for optical applications. The results demonstrate that controlled microstructure and surface characteristics play a critical role in tailoring the optical performance of PVP/ZnO for applications in optoelectronics.