Tuning the Optical, Electrical and Dielectric Properties of Sodium Alginate/Polyethylene Glycol Blend by Incorporating AgNO3 NPs for Optoelectronic Devices and Energy Storage Applications

• Published in: Journal of inorganic and organometallic polymers and materials 2024, Vol.34 (11), p.5266-5276
• Main Authors: Aldahiri, Reema H., Algethami, Norah, Rajeh, A., Al-Sulami, Ahlam I., Alnawmasi, Jawza Sh, Abdelrazek, E. M., Farea, M. O., AlSulami, Fatimah Mohammad H., Alghamdi, Haifa Mohammed
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Composite materials; Dielectric properties; Direct current; Electrical properties; Electrical resistivity; Energy gap; Energy storage; Frequency ranges; Infrared spectroscopy; Inorganic Chemistry; Nanocomposites; Nanoparticles; Optical properties; Optoelectronic devices; Organic Chemistry; Photovoltaic cells; Polyethylene glycol; Polymer films; Polymer Sciences; Silver nitrate; Sodium alginate; Solar cells; Spectroscopic analysis; Spectrum analysis
• ISSN: 1574-1443; 1574-1451
• DOI: 10.1007/s10904-024-03148-7

This study investigates the properties of novel flexible polymer nanocomposite films made with polyethylene glycol (PEG), sodium alginate (NaAlg), and silver nitrate (AgNO 3 ) nanoparticles. The nanocomposites were fabricated using a casting method and characterized by various techniques to understand the influence of AgNO 3 content on their optical, electrical and dielectric properties. The frequency range for characterization was 10 Hz to 7 MHz. XRD analysis revealed a decrease in the intensity of the peaks in the nanocomposite films compared to the pristine blend, suggesting changes in the crystalline structure with increasing AgNO 3 concentration. FT-IR spectroscopy confirmed the successful formation of the composite material through interaction between the components. Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy was utilized to examine the optical properties of the films. Tauc’s plot analysis was used to calculate the energy bandgap values for both direct and indirect transitions in the nanocomposites. The results showed a decrease in the bandgap (E g ) with increasing AgNO 3 content. This trend was observed for both direct transitions (E g decreasing from 5.59 eV to 5.16 eV) and indirect transitions (E g decreasing from 4.93 eV to 3.95 eV). Electrical and dielectric characterization revealed that the nanocomposite with 20 wt% AgNO 3 loading exhibited the most favorable electrical properties. The direct current conductivity (σ dc ) increased significantly from 2.55 × 10 − 10 S/cm to 5.65 × 10 − 9 S/cm, while the frequency exponent (S) decreased from 0.81 to 0.49. These observations suggest significant modifications in the electrical transport behavior of the films upon AgNO 3 incorporation. The improved electrical properties make these PEG/NaAlg-AgNO 3 nanocomposites promising candidates for applications in flexible solar cells and electrical energy storage devices.