Characterization of PMMA/PEO thermoplastic modified with nanosized Cr 2 O 3 /Fe 2 O 3 : Nanocomposites for optoelectronics and dielectric devices

This study is dedicated to the synthesis of nanocomposites based on Cr 2 O 3 - and Fe 2 O 3 -reinforced PMMA/PEO with optimized performance for optoelectronics and energy storage applications. The fillers and films were prepared by inexpensive chemical methods. The effects of adding Cr 2 O 3 and Fe 2 O 3 NPs on the structure and vibrational properties of the PMMA/PEO films were studied using TEM, XRD, FE-SEM, EDX, mapping, and ATR/FTIR. The XRD and FE-SEM confirmed the rhombohedral structure of Cr 2 O 3 and Fe 2 O 3 . The effect on the semicrystalline nature of the matrix was discussed. UV-vis spectroscopy showed better enhancement in the light absorption with the incorporation of Cr 2 O 3 NPs compared to Fe 2 O 3 . The bandgap was decreased from 5.15 eV to 5.05 eV and 4.85 eV after loading Cr 2 O 3 and Fe 2 O 3 NPs, respectively. Furthermore, the refractive index was improved from 2.13 to 3.95 and 3.76. The films showed thermal stability up to 200°C. The AC conductivity increased from 0.28 × 10 −6 S/m to 0.42 × 10 −6 S/m and 0.36 × 10 −6 S/m upon loading 3.0 wt% Cr 2 O 3 and 3.0 wt% Fe 2 O 3 , respectively. The energy density of the blend ranged from 2.5 × 10 −3 to 7.3 × 10 −3 J·m −3 and was significantly increased upon loading 3.0 wt% Cr 2 O 3 and 3.0 wt% Fe 2 O 3 NPs, respectively. The extinction coefficient, band tail width, DSC thermograms, dielectric constant, dielectric loss, and modulus were systematically studied and discussed concerning the effects of Cr 2 O 3 and Fe 2 O 3 and their concentration. Overall, Fe 2 O 3 -doped PMMA/PEO films showed higher potential for energy storage devices, while Cr 2 O 3 -doped PMMA/PEO films are the most suitable for photonic and optoelectronic devices.