• Omari, Rima H. Al
• Banisalameh, Areen A.
• Telfah, Ahmad
• Ahmad, Ahmad A.

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>In this study, the polyethylene oxide (PEO)/SiO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> nanoparticles (NPs) nanocomposite films with various SiO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> NPs concentrations were prepared using an in situ formation of NPs in the polymer matrix for self‐cleaning antireflected surface applications. The effect of SiO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> NPs in PEO/SiO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> NPs nanocomposite films on the structural, morphological, chemical, thermal, optical, and electrical properties of PEO/SiO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> NPs nanocomposite films was performed. According to the x‐ray diffraction and the differential scanning calorimetry analysis, the crystallinity degree of the nanocomposite films decreases by increasing the SiO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> NPs concentrations. The bandgap energy of PEO/SiO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> NPs nanocomposite films decreases from 3.95 to 3.55 eV as the SiO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> NPs concentration increases up to 10 wt.%. The average electrical conductivity of the PEO/SiO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> NPs nanocomposite films increases from 5.1 × 10<jats:sup>−7</jats:sup> to 2.0 × 10<jats:sup>−6</jats:sup> S/cm as the SiO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> NPs concentration increases up to 10 wt.%. The refractive index decreases to 1.64 at 550 nm for the PEO/SiO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> NPs nanocomposite films with 10 wt.% of SiO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> NPs, and the water contact angle decreases to around 0° after thermal treatment, which confirms that the PEO/SiO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> NPs nanocomposite films can be used as self‐cleaning antireflected surfaces.</jats:p>

Topics

• nanoparticle
• nanocomposite
• surface
• polymer
• differential scanning calorimetry
• electrical conductivity
• crystallinity