Light attenuation and optical absorption characteristics of graphene-chitosan nanomaterials-based quandary nanocomposites

Abstract

Polymer-based graphene oxide nanocomposites represent an attractive class of materials due to their functional groups and wide range of applications in engineering and medicine. In this study, the interaction between nano-chitosan (CS) and graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets within polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) blended with polyacrylic acid (PAA) was investigated to fabricate two novel PVP–PAA–CS/GO nanocomposites. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed the presence of strong interfacial interactions and distinct functional groups. At the same time, X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed a transition from amorphous to semicrystalline behavior after the incorporation of nanomaterials. Optical microscopy revealed the fracture surface characteristics and the fine dispersion of the components. UV–Vis spectroscopy demonstrated improved optical properties. Furthermore, the optical absorbance at 340 nm increased from 0.65 in PVP–PAA to 1.09 in PVP–PAA–CS/GO, indicating that ternary mix polymers and GO nanoparticles have formed a complex at around 300 nm, with a reduction of the optical band gap from 3.7 to 3.4 eV. The addition of nanomaterials enhanced the absorption behavior, dielectric constants (real and imaginary), and optical conductivity. Furthermore, the radiation attenuation of the composites improved significantly, with the half-value layer (HVL) increasing from 2.41 to 4.13 cm. These results highlight the potential of the prepared nanocomposites for diverse optoelectronic and light-shielding applications.