Modification of poly(vinyl chloride) thin films with organic compound and nanoparticles for solar energy applications

• Published in: Journal of polymer research 2023-07, Vol.30 (7), Article 274
• Main Authors: Ahmed, Ahmed, Abed, Rasheed N., Kadhom, Mohammed, Hashim, Hassan, Akram, Evon, Jawad, Ali, Yousif, Emad
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Absorptivity; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Compound A; Dielectric films; Electromagnetic absorption; Energy; Energy gap; Glass substrates; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Metal oxides; Nanoparticles; Optical properties; Organic compounds; Original Paper; Photovoltaic cells; Polymer Sciences; Polyvinyl chloride; Refractivity; Room temperature; Solar energy; Thin films; Vinyl chloride
• ISSN: 1022-9760; 1572-8935
• DOI: 10.1007/s10965-023-03654-1

Novel thin films of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) modified with organic compounds and metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) have been fabricated. Firstly, an organic compound, referred to as compound A, which contains a triazole ring, was prepared to form another compound, referred to as compound B. Subsequently, compound B was modified to obtain the required compound, referred to as compound C, which was then incorporated into the NPs-PVC films. These thin films were fabricated using the casting method on a glass substrate. All synthesis steps and characterization tests were conducted at room temperature (25 °C), and the optical properties of the thin films were examined in the UV-Visible wavelength range of 250-1300 nm. The optical properties were analyzed through reflectance, absorption coefficient, energy gap, refractive index, and Urbach energy tests. The direct energy gap (E g ) decreased from 2.35 eV for the modified PVC to 2.00 eV when the modified PVC thin films were doped with NPs. Similarly, the value of the indirect energy gap also decreased from 2.2 to 1.90 eV. The effective single oscillator (E o ) and the dispersing energy (E d ) decreased with the addition of NPs. Likewise, the high frequency dielectric constant ( ε ∞ ) and the effective mass N m ∗ decreased when the NPs were filled within the modified PVC thin films. Therefore, the production of modified thin films with high light absorption and anti-reflective properties is highly desirable for various applications, including optical devices, photovoltaic cells, as well as outdoor settings such as windows and doors in buildings and military environments.