Nickel oxide nanoparticles embedded in polymer-matrix nanocomposite prepared by nanosecond laser ablation method for optoelectronic applications

Abstract

The polymeric PVA structure embedded with nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiO NPs) was synthesized using nanosecond pulsed laser ablation in liquid media technique for optoelectronic applications. A comprehensive investigation was conducted on the optical and electrical characteristics of the fabricated films to demonstrate the proficiency of the proposed nanocomposite film in that particular domain. Different weights of NiO nanoparticles were generated by embedding them in PVA film using different ablation durations. It was shown that as the concentration of NiO embedded in PVA increased in correlation with the ablation period, the absorption peak changed to a longer wavelength, and the absorption edge of PVA changed towards lower photon energy with a reduction in the band gap density. Followed by the increase in disorder degree through the addition of NiO NPs, while an average value of the dispersion energy is identical, and the nonlinear parameters (χ⁽³⁾ and n₂) increase. Also, the results emphsies that the dielectric characteristics were affected as the concentration of NiO NPs increased due to the rise in the density of states, which resulted in the generation of polarization. Due to the creation of the charge transfer complex, the optical conductivity of the produced nanocomposites rises as the concentration of NiO NPs increases. Therefore, the optical and electrical characteristics of PVA are significantly affected by the incorporation of NiO nanocomposites.