Investigation of the Optical and Morphological Properties of <scp>PS</scp> / <scp>POMA</scp> Blends Hybridized With Erbium Oxide (Er ₂ O ₃ )

ABSTRACT Polymeric blends (PB) represent a rapid and cost‐effective strategy for the development of materials with tailored properties. In this study, blends of polystyrene (PS) and poly(o‐methoxyaniline) (POMA) containing 7.5 wt/wt% of POMA were prepared and hybridized with erbium oxide (Er 2 O 3 ) at concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, and 3.0 wt/wt%. The optical and morphological properties of the resulting materials were investigated by UV–Vis absorption, photoluminescence (PL), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). UV–Vis spectra revealed that the incorporation of Er 2 O 3 induces the emergence of a new absorption band in the near‐infrared region (750–1000 nm), with maximum absorption at approximately 870 nm for the 1.0 wt/wt% sample and 800 nm for the 3.0 wt/wt% sample, indicating an interaction between the oxide and the polymeric matrix. PL measurements showed that all hybrid materials are photoluminescent, exhibiting emission in the 600–750 nm range with maxima between 620 and 650 nm. Morphological analyses demonstrated that the addition of Er 2 O 3 leads to surface modifications in the PS/POMA blends, including increased heterogeneity and the formation of oxide‐related features, as observed by SEM and AFM. These structural and optical changes suggest that PB–Er 2 O 3 hybrid materials may be considered as promising candidates for optoelectronic applications.