Experimental study of the microstructure and optical properties of PVA-PVP blend filled with lead nitrate

Polymeric composite films comprising of polyvinylalcohol (PVA)/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) blend filled with lead nitrate (Pb(NO3)(2)), with filler content ranging from 2.7 wt% up to 50.5 wt% were prepared from aqueous solutions using solution casting method. The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images revealed nano-crystalline regions of the filler dispersed in the polymer matrix, at 2.7 wt% concentration of (Pb(NO3)(2), and on increasing the filler content, micro-crystalline regions (micro-crystallites) of lead are observed in the host polymeric matrix. XRD spectra revealed a significant increase in the degree of crystallinity, yielding a highly crystalline material at higher filler concentration (27 wt% and above) in the PVA/PVP blend. Optical studies on PVA-PVP doped (PbNO3)(2) shows inter-band transitions as well as transitions to energy bands created due to the dopant in the forbidden gap of PVA/PVP band structure. The results of DC electrical measurements, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy are used to complement the SEM, XRD and UV-Visible data. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Selection and Peer-review under responsibility of International Conference on Advanced Materials and Applications (ICAMA 2016).