Publication Details
Abstract
The synthesis of bio-based polymer nanocomposites with adjustable structural, morphological, and optical properties has attracted significant interest for high-end technological and biological applications. The present study is designed to assess the impact of incorporating ZnO NPs into a CMC matrix. A series of (CMC/ZnO) nanocomposite films with different (ZnO) contents (0.002 to 0.008 g) were effectively created using a straightforward solution casting method. UV-visible, FE-SEM, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The structural, morphological, and optical properties of the synthesized films were systematically investigated. The XRD patterns showed the successful incorporation of hexagonal wurtzite ZnO in the semi-crystalline CMC matrix, which showed a gradual decrease in the polymer crystallinity due to the coordination interactions between the COO- groups and Zn+2 ions. The FE-SEM micrographs showed a uniform dispersion of nanoparticles at lower concentrations, while aggregation tendency was observed at higher loadings. Pure CMC's indirect optical band gap lowered from 5.1 eV to 4.9 eV for the highest ZnO concentration owing to defect-induced localized states and structural amorphization as observed from optical study using the Tauc relation. The systematic control of the optical band gap and structural alteration by ZnO loading shows that CMC/ZnO nanocomposite films are promising green materials for advanced optoelectronic, UV shielding, and biomedical applications.