https://doi.org/10.1051/epjap/2022210268
Regular Article
Structural and Optical characterization of gamma irradiated PVA-PEG/Cr2O3 nanocomposite films
1
Department of Physics, Faculty of Science Yanbu, Taibah University, Yanbu, Saudi Arabia
2
Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
3
Physics Department, College of Science, Jeddah University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
4
Department of physics, Faculty of Science, Taibah University, Al-Madina al Munawarah, Saudi Arabia
5
Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Science, P.O. BOX 2455, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia
6
Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
* e-mail: samin273@gmail.com
Received:
25
November
2021
Received in final form:
26
February
2022
Accepted:
22
March
2022
Published online: 21 June 2022
Polyvinyl alcohol-Polyethylene glycol/Chromium oxide nanocomposite (PVA-PEG/Cr2O3 NCP) was synthesized by means of the thermolysis and casting procedures. The NCP films were irradiated with various X-ray dosages (15–130 kGy). The resultant outcome of the X-ray irradiation on the structural and optical characteristics of the NCP films were explored applying X-ray diffraction and UV spectroscopy. The optical band gap, refractive index, Urbach energy and optical dielectric parameters were characterized and interpreted based on the X-ray dosage. The optical bandgap dropped from 3.91 to 2.7 eV for a X-ray dosage of 130 kGy, accompanied with a rise in Urbach energy of the samples. We attribute this to the dominance of crosslinking. Additionally, the color differences between the pristine and the irradiated samples were characterized. The pristine NCP film was uncoloured. It exhibited noteworthy color changes during the X-ray irradiation, as the color intensity reached a value greater than 5. This is an acceptable match in commercial reproduction on printing presses.
© EDP Sciences, 2022
