Influence of Zinc Manganite Nano Fillers on the Optical and Dielectric Features of Poly-Methyl Methacrylate/Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Nanocomposites

Poly (methyl methacrylate, PMMA)/ multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/ x wt %zinc manganite (ZnMn₂O₄) polymers were fabricated using co-precipitation and casting techniques. The structure of the filler and all polymers was determined with X-ray diffraction. The morphology of the polymer surfaces was explored by employing scanning electron microscopy. The direct and indirect band gap energies (E _g) of PMMA polymer (5.02, 4.44) eV decreased attaining minimum values (4.97, 3.41) eV upon the addition of MWCNTs and 2 wt% ZnMn₂O₄. The refractive index at 600 nm was increased from 1.33 (PMMA) to 1.55 (x = 2 wt% ZnMn₂O₄). The optical dielectric constant and optical conductivity displayed their highest values when the ZnMn₂O₄ doping level reached 2 wt%. The PMMA/MWCNTs/x wt% ZnMn₂O₄ polymers exhibited blue-violet colors on the CIE 1931 chromaticity diagram under excitation wavelength of 317 nm. The electrical dielectric constant and the AC conductivity attained their peak at the concentration of 2 wt% and 1 wt% ZnMn₂O₄, respectively. PMMA/MWCNTs/x wt% ZnMn₂O₄ polymers possess controllable optical and electrical characteristics, thus making them potentially valuable optical materials for future optoelectronic or photocatalytic application development.