Preparation and structural characteristics of hybrid nanocomposites for optical devices

This work demonstrates that incorporating cerium oxide (CeO2) nanoparticles effectively tailors the surface and interfacial interactions within the cellulose acetate (CA) matrix, resulting in significant enhancements in the optical characteristics of the CA/CeO2 nanocomposite. The successful formation of the CA/CeO2 composites using the solution casting method was confirmed through scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The FTIR identified the characteristic functional groups of CA and revealed strong interactions of CA and CeO2. EDX verified the effective incorporation of CeO2 in CA matrix, while TEM showed well-dispersed CeO2 with sizes 6 to 31 nm. The optical properties of CA and CA/CeO2 composite films were systematically investigated. The bandgap decreased from 4.22 eV for CA to 4.09, and 3.94 eV for composites containing CA/3.0%CeO2, and CA/4.5%CeO2, respectively. In contrast, the band tail increased from 1.11 eV for CA to 1.82, 2.70, and 2.85 eV respectively for CA/1.5%CeO2, CA/3.0%CeO2, and CA/4.5%CeO2. These results demonstrate that tailoring surface and interfacial interactions through CeO2 incorporation effectively modifies the optical behavior of CA, highlighting the potential of CA/CeO2 composite for optoelectronic applications.