Influence of Cerium Oxide (CeO2) Nanoparticles on the Structural, Morphological, Mechanical and Dielectric Properties of PVA/PPy Blend Nanocomposites

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and water soluble polypyrrole (PPy) based Cerium oxide (CeO2) nanocomposite films with different wt% were prepared by solution casting method. The effects of CeO2 nanoparticles on the properties of PVA/PPy nanocomposite were investigated. The structural characteristic of nanocomposites was analyzed by using FTIR and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The morphological study of PVA/PPy/CeO2 nanocomposites was examined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The tensile strength of the nanocomposite film was measured for different wt% of CeO2 loading. The mechanical properties of nanocomposites were also investigated and it was observed that the tensile strength has significantly changed due to incorporation of CeO2 nanoparticles in PVA/PPy blend. The dielectric properties were investigated in the frequency range 50 Hz - 20 MHz and the temperature range between 40 degrees C to 150 degrees C. The dielectric constant (epsilon) and dielectric loss (tan delta) is measured for different compositions of nanocomposites. The nanocomposite shows high dielectric constant with low dielectric loss which can be used for high-k capacitor or embedded capacitor applications. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.