Synthesis, Structural, Optical, Electrical and Thermal Studies of Poly(vinyl alcohol)/CdO Nanocomposite Films

The CdO nanoparticles were prepared by sol–gel method and CdO doped polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanocomposite films were prepared by solution casting technique. The structural confirmation was carried out by FTIR spectroscopy and XRD techniques for the prepared films. The peak at 650 cm −1 was found to be Cd–O stretching in the FTIR spectrum. Also, the FTIR spectra confirmed the interaction between the hydroxyl groups of PVA and CdO nanoparticles. Moreover, the XRD analysis confirmed the structure of CdO and the interaction between PVA and CdO. The average grain size of CdO was calculated as 37.5 nm using Scherrer’s formula. This was also confirmed by TEM. The surface morphology of the prepared films was analyzed by scanning electron microscope. The optical studies were carried out using UV–Visible spectroscopy. The energy bandgap values of CdO and PVA composite films were calculated using Tauc’s plot. The DC conductivity measurement was also carried out for PVA composite films using two probe setup. Thermal stability of PVA nanocomposite films was accessed using thermogravimetric analysis.