article · Results in Physics
Polymeric nanocomposite films were prepared using polyvinyl alcohol and carboxymethyl cellulose as matrices, incorporated with polypyrrole and varying concentrations of natural melanin as fillers. Structural and morphological evaluations were conducted using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Incorporating melanin modified the optical and electrical characteristics of the blends. The highest optical conductivity in the visible spectrum was recorded at a melanin concentration of 0.15 weight percent, alongside notable enhancements in refractive index and nonlinear optical parameters. Direct and indirect optical band gaps reached their lowest values at 0.25 weight percent melanin, which also yielded the highest absorbance. Electrical testing demonstrated non-ohmic conduction across all samples, ruling out ohmic and space charge limited conduction. Charge transport was governed primarily by Poole-Frenkel emission, with Schottky emission observed under specific temperature conditions.
Modifying blended polymer materials with natural additives like melanin allows researchers to tune optical absorption, conductivity, and electrical transport. Understanding these underlying mechanisms helps identify cost-effective material combinations that can respond effectively to light and charge, supporting the development of advanced functional components for electronic and optical technologies.
This research is at an early laboratory stage, focusing on material synthesis and physical characterisation. The findings suggest potential relevance for developers and manufacturers working on optoelectronic devices, capacitive energy storage, and photocatalytic applications. Practical commercialisation would require further device-level integration and performance validation beyond the demonstrated material properties.
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• The addition of melanin to the PVA/CMC/PPy blend resulted in an irregular rise in the n value compared to the blend without melanin. • The presence of melanin led to an enhancement in the optical conductivity of the PVA/CMC/PPy blended polymer. • The NLO parameters showed an irregular improvement. • The I-V characteristic emphasized the non-ohmic behavior of all blends. • The system mainly displays the Poole-Frenkel emission mechanism, with the exception of the doped blend with x = 0.1 at 293–333 K, which demonstrates Schottky emissions. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) have been used as polymeric matrices to create polymeric nanocomposite films that contain polypyrrole (PPY) and melanin as fillers. The structure of the PVA/CMC/PPy/x wt % melanin blends was analyzed using the X-ray diffraction technique. The scanning electron microscopy technique was used to investigate the morphologies of the blends. The highest absorbance and reflectance spectra were observed when the melanin content reached 0.25 and 0.2 % wt %, respectively. The smallest direct and indirect optical band gaps are (4.91, 4.44) eV and (4.22, 3.79, 2.34) eV, respectively, achieved when the melanin content was 0.25 wt%. The blend doped with 0.15 wt% PANi yielded the highest refractive index values (1.396 at λ = 600 nm). The optical dielectric constant values of the blends exhibited irregular improvement when the PVA/CMC/PPy blended polymer was filled with varying quantities of melanin. The blend doped with 0.15 wt% melanin exhibits the highest optical conductivity values in the visible range. The blend of PVA/CMC/PPy with a melanin concentration of 0.15 or 0.2 wt% demonstrated the highest nonlinear optical parameters. The blend of PVA/CMC/PPy with a melanin concentration of 0.15 or 0.2 wt% demonstrated the highest nonlinear optical parameter. Based on the observed behavior of the I-V characteristic, the possibility of ohmic conduct ions or space charge limited conduct ions is ruled out in all blends. The charge transport mechanisms that take place in different blends under varying temperatures were examined. These outcomes suggest the opportunity of employing the created blended polymer in capacitive energy storage, optoelectronic devices and photocatalytic application.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.rinp.2024.107924
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