Optical linearity and nonlinearity, structural morphology of TiO2-doped PMMA/FTO polymeric nanocomposite films: Laser power attenuation

doi:10.1016/j.ijleo.2020.166036

Optik

Volume 227, February 2021, 166036

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijleo.2020.166036 Get rights and content

Highlights

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The spin coating technique was used to prepare TiO₂/PMMA/FTO nanocomposites, uniform thin film with low cost, short time, and high efficiency.
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The present research proposed to enhance the structural, electrical, linear, and nonlinear optical, dielectric properties of TiO₂-doped PMMA/FTO polymeric nanostructures for optoelectronic applications.
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The X-ray diffraction (XRD) as well as atomic force microscopy (AFM) methods are employed to characterize the structural morphology of TiO₂ /PMMA/FTO nanocomposite thin films.
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UV-Vis NIR spectrophotometry was used to examine the optical properties, including the refractive index (n), the extinction coefficient (k), the value of the energy optical bandgaps, and the nonlinear optical parameters, of the TiO₂/PMMA/FTO nanostructured films.
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For the synthesized TiO₂/PMMA nanocomposites, the optical direct bandgap (E_g) ranges between 4.11–3.35 eV, while the values of the indirect bandgaps were determined to be in the range of 3.61 eV to 2.37 eV.
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The dielectric properties of TiO₂/PMMA/FTO nanocomposites displayed a high dielectric constant with insufficient dielectric loss.
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The studied TiO₂/PMMA/FTO nanostructured films are perfectly appropriate to be applied in optical limiting devices at 632.8 nm red lasers.

Abstract

This current study suggests a novel optical nanocomposite polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) with titanium oxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles at different concentrations, synthesizing an effective, unexpansive spin coating technique. Adding to that, using both the X-ray diffraction (XRD) method and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were very beneficial to study the consistent changes of grain size and strain in nanoscale for the combination of TiO₂ nanoparticles in the host PMMA matrix. The topological structure images were observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM), and it was in good agreement with XRD analysis. Both linear and nonlinear optical parameters of the prepared TiO₂/PMMA/FTO films were carried out using a VU-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer. Optimized reduction of the optical direct energy bandgap to around ∼ 3.35 eV and indirect bandgap to about 2.37 eV was determined. The obtained results illustrated under study, leading to promising technological applications. Such high structure stability, large dielectric constant, reduced optical bandgap, as well as higher nonlinear optical properties, concluded that the nano-TiO₂ powder mix with PMMA can enhance the morphology and optical properties of the host PMMA polymer and that the uniform prepared TiO₂ /PMMA nanocomposites are excellent candidates to be used in different applied optoelectronic devices.

Graphical abstract

Introduction

The investigating study of the composites made of polymeric materials, as the hot matrix and appropriate metal salts gain enormous efforts in corresponding to the healthy development in potential devices of photoelectrochemical and high energy electrochemical and the fabrication simplicity for thin films in required dimensions. Among the different polymers as host matrix, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) materials have been largely applied in optoelectronic applications taking advantage of its effective electrical and optical behaviors [1]. PMMA is a strong thermoplastic material and potentially applied in numerous technological and industrial fields for widespread applications due to the unique outstanding optical properties, such as clarity and transparency, electrical and chemical properties, thermal stability, weather resistance, safety, and model ability [2]. Inorganic fillers doped in PMMA matrix doped to enrich its structure morphology and electrical optical and properties to enhance optoelectronic applications' performance.

Lately, the combination of polymeric materials with nanoparticles (NPS) has attracted extensive focus in the material science field because of the potential boosting properties, reduction in cost, efficiency in synthesizing, greater stability, and high flexibility to manufacture. The existence of fillers inorganic oxide nanoparticles in the polymer matrix could adjust the polymers' optical, thermo-mechanical, magnetic, and electrical behaviors [3]. Among those fillers, titanium dioxide TiO₂ is potentially one of the furthermost capable materials because of its unique physical, optical, electrical, and thermal properties. Importantly, the TiO₂ research has been attracted to distinct attention, which is applying TiO₂ nano-materials in various potential practical fields of photocatalysis, photovoltaics sensors, and photo-/electro-chromic applications [4]. TiO₂ materials are nontoxic, low in cost, and having broad optical bandgap and TiO2 are plentifully available in nature. The nanocomposites of TiO₂ and PMMA are potential candidates and could play major roles in various applications, such as aerospace, optoelectronics device, and biological labels [5].

Many reported studies are investigating the thermal, optical, and electrical properties of inorganic doped PMMA polymers. In their research, El-Zaher et al. studied the TiO₂ effects on the structure and thermal properties of PMMA polymeric materials for medical technological applications [6]. Also, Convertino et al. [7] investigated how the surface chemistry and the shape of TiO₂ nanocrystals affect PMMA/TiO₂ materials' absorption capacity. The relation between the doping concentrations and the structural morphology and thermal characteristics of PMMA–TiO₂ nanostructured materials was reported by Saraswat co-workers [8]. To the best of the current knowledge, there was not that much intensive study has been investigated the TiO₂ NP's effects on the optical and structural properties of the PMMA polymers.

The present research proposed to enhance the structural, electrical, optical, and dielectric performance of TiO₂-doped PMMA/FTO polymeric nanocomposites synthesized through spin coating techniques for optoelectronic applications. In this current study, the PMMA matrix was prepared with nano-TiO₂ powder at various concentrations (0.1, 0.5, 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50 wt%). The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) methods were employed to characterize the structural morphology of TiO₂/PMMA nanocomposite films. Besides, UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometry was used to examine the optical properties of the TiO₂/PMMA/FTO nanostructured films, and the optical energy bandgaps were estimated as the TiO₂ doping ratios increased. All possible analysis and parameters were deduced and interpreted in our work in full details. It is projected that the TiO₂-doped PMMA/FTO polymeric nanocomposites will be applied in broadband technological applications.

Section snippets

Deposition of TiO₂-doped PMMA/FTO polymeric nanocomposites films

In this present study, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) powder of chemical formula [CH₂C(CH₃)(CO₂CH₃)-]_nwas utilized as a host matrix, was supplied from BDH England. Moreover, the nano-powder of titanium oxide (from Sigma-Aldrich, China) was used as a filler, a combination of anatase and rutile nanoparticles, less than 100 nm size 99.5 % of trace metals. The high purity of chloroform was considered a common solvent for both PMMA and TiO₂ nanoparticles. First, 20 g of PMMA was dissolved in 200 ml

X-ray Diffraction

XRD analysis was used to prove the crystalline constructions of TiO₂/PMMA/FTO nanocomposites, where the mean values of the grain size (nm), the dislocation density, and the lattice strain were determined for all the synthesized pure PMMA and as well as for the nanocomposites of PMMA and TiO₂ nanoparticles at different doping ratios ranging from 0.1 to 50 wt%, as illustrated in Table. 2. In this study, the crystalline size (D) of the TiO₂/PMMA nanocomposites was calculated using the Scherrer

Conclusion

Commercially, TiO₂ nanoparticles are naturally available, technologically critical, inexpensive materials that are excellent candidates for environmental, energy, health, and numerous applications, which is reported in this proposed work. In this current study, TiO₂/PMMA/FTO nanocomposites have been prepared by a spin coater technique, which is a very good practice to gain a uniform thin film with a low cost, short time, and high efficiency. The structural, morphological, and linear and

Declaration of Competing Interest

The authors report no declarations of interest.

Acknowledgment

The authors express their appreciation to “The Research Center for Advanced Materials Science (RCAMS)” at King Khalid University for funding this work under the grant number RCAMS/KKU/016-20. The authors express their appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Khalid University for funding this work through research groups program under grant number R.G.P.2/65/40.

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Optical linearity and nonlinearity, structural morphology of TiO2-doped PMMA/FTO polymeric nanocomposite films: Laser power attenuation

Highlights

Abstract

Graphical abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Deposition of TiO2-doped PMMA/FTO polymeric nanocomposites films

X-ray Diffraction

Conclusion

Declaration of Competing Interest

Acknowledgment

Applied surface science

Applied Clay Science

Polymer

Polymer

Physica B: Condensed Matter

Journal of the European Ceramic Society

Process

Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids

Optics & Laser Technology

Journal of non-crystalline solids

Physica B: Condensed Matter

Journal of non-crystalline solids

Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids

Optical linearity and nonlinearity, structural morphology of TiO₂-doped PMMA/FTO polymeric nanocomposite films: Laser power attenuation

Deposition of TiO₂-doped PMMA/FTO polymeric nanocomposites films