Linear and nonlinear optical properties of PVC/PMMA polymer blends reinforced with TiO<sub>2</sub>/GNP hybrid fillers for optoelectronics applications
A.A. Al‐Muntaser, Eman Alzahrani, Abdullah F. Al Naim, Reem Alwafi, Abdu Saeed
Abstract
Abstract This work examines the structural, linear, and nonlinear optical characteristics of the polyvinyl chloride (PVC)/polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) polymer blend that incorporates TiO 2 nanoparticles (NPs) along with varying concentrations of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs). XRD analysis indicates a decrease in the crystallinity of the polymer matrix with the introduction of these nanofillers. Additionally, FTIR confirms the alteration in the chemical bonding due to the presence of nanofillers, thereby validating their compatibility with the polymer matrix. Optical studies reveal that adding TiO 2 and GNPs leads to a 30% reduction in transparency while improving UV absorption properties. Also, the optical bandgap energies showed significant decreases, with direct and indirect transitions shifting from 5.28 eV to 5.01 eV and from 4.60 eV to 3.79 eV, respectively, as the concentration of nanofillers increased. Additionally, the refractive index increases by 25%, highlighting enhanced photon interaction and absorption. Nonlinear optical (NLO) analysis shows a notable improvement in NLO coefficients with the incorporation of nanofillers, especially concerning third-order nonlinear susceptibility ( χ (3) ) and nonlinear refractive index (n 2 ). The values of χ (3) increase by up to 40%, reaching 1.5 × 10 −11 esu, while n 2 exhibits a 35% enhancement. These results indicate that the material is particularly well-suited for nonlinear photonic applications. Overall, the findings affirm the potential of TiO 2 and GNP-filled PVC/PMMA composites for advanced applications in photocatalysis, optoelectronic devices, and nonlinear optics.