Poly (o-anisidine) Encapsulated K2ZrO3 Nano-core based Gelatin Nano Composites: Investigations of Optical, Thermal, Microcrystalline and Morphological Characteristics

A series of Gelatin/poly-o-anisidine coated K2ZrO3 polymer nanocomposite were fabricated by varying the poly-o-anisidine (POA) coated K2ZrO3 viz 0, 1, 2, and 4 wt% using the solvent casting method. From High-resolution transition electron microscopy (HRTEM) results it is cleared that the average size of the prepared nanoparticles and polymer coated nanoparticles are around 18-20 and 95-100 nm respectively, and the polymer coated nanoparticles are spherical in shape, and form a core shell. The phase purity and microcrystalline behavior of the prepared nano particles, POA coated nanoparticles and gelatin nanocomposites were analyzed by using X-ray diffraction (XRD). Scanning electron microscope [SEM] and energy dispersive spectroscopy [EDX] were employed for the analysis of the surface morphology and the elemental composition of the prepared nanoparticles and nanocomposites. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to assess the physical interactions between the components in nanocomposites. The thermal stability and effect of polymer coated nanoparticles on glass transitions temperatures were studied by using Thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) respectively. From UV-Visible spectroscopy studies it is clear that, with increase in POA coated K 2ZrO (3) nanoparticles concentration from 0 to 4 wt % in a gelatin matrix, the band gap energy (E-g) value drops from 4.13 to 2.16 eV, and the refractive index rises from 1.529 to 3.25.