The Role of ZnO Nanofillers in Enhancing the Properties of PVA/PVP Blend Nanocomposites

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/Polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) blends loaded with zinc oxide nanofillers are fabricated and characterized. The XRD profile indicates an enhancement in the degree of crystallinity and structural order arrangements of ZnO nanofillers in the amorphous PVA/PVP matrix region. The ZnO nanofiller dispersed homogeneously through the PVA/PVP blend matrix. The PVA/PVP blend mixes well with the formation of C=O of PVA and C-O of PVP bonds, The enhancement in ZnO nanofillers in the PVA/PVP blend matrix shifts the symmetric and asymmetric peaks at 1655 cm(-1) (C-O) and 1110 cm(-1)(C=O) towards higher-order signposting in improvement in crystallinity. The optical energy band gap values decrease with ZnO nanofiller loading in the polymer matrix and found a minimum of 1.52 eV for x = 14 wt%. The DC conductivity analysis shows enhancement in its values with the rise in ZnO filler concentration and maximum x = 14 wt% filler level. The improvement in the permittivity was perceived from 2.53 to 7.41, with less dielectric loss. The dielectric found maximum for x = 14 wt% ZnO filler concentration in the PVA/PVP blend having a loss factor of 0.031 at applied low frequencies. The high conductivity value with a low energy gap having a significant loss factor at low frequency favours the nanocomposite finding a potential application in electromagnetic-induction (EMI) for microwave absorption applications.