Polymer nanocomposites comprising PVA matrix and Ag–BaTiO₃ nanofillers: a comparative study of structural, dielectric and optical characteristics for optics and quantum nanoelectronic applications

The fabrication of ternary nanocomposites, which possess customized properties through a polymer matrix, is increasingly becoming a general research area worldwide. The present study presents a newly developed ternary nanocomposite comprising polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), silver (Ag), and barium titanate (BaTiO₃) that has been synthesized through the solution cast method. The samples were composed of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as the organic host matrix, along with varying concentrations of nano Silver (Ag) and nano barium titanate (BaTiO₃) (0, 2, 4, and 6) wt.%. The present study examined nanocomposites' structural, electrical, and optical characteristics comprising PVA–Ag–BaTiO₃. FTIR analysis revealed alterations in the sample's peak position, shape, and intensity compared to the pure Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA). The optical microscope photos demonstrate that the dispersion of nanoparticles inside the mix exhibited a homogeneous pattern, forming a cohesive network across the polymer matrix. The electrical properties of nanocomposites were investigated in the frequency range of 100–5 × 10⁶ Hz at room temperature. The experiment's findings indicate that the (PVA–Ag–BaTiO₃) nanocomposites decreased the dielectric constant and the dielectric loss as the frequency of the applied electric field increased. The electrical conductivity of alternating current (A.C) exhibits a positive correlation with frequency, whereby an increase in frequency results in an increase in conductivity. The concentration of (Ag–BaTiO₃) nanoparticles was found to have a positive correlation with the dielectric constant, dielectric loss, and A.C. electrical conductivity of pure PVA. The (PVA–Ag–BaTiO₃) nanocomposites have high absorbance in the area of (UV). The findings of the optical characteristics of (PVA–Ag–BaTiO₃) nanocomposites indicate that the absorbance, absorption coefficient, extinction coefficient, refractive index, actual and imaginary dielectric constants, and optical conductivity of the pure PVA escalated with the augmentation of (Ag–BaTiO₃) nanoparticle concentration. Transmittance and the optical energy band decreased as the concentration of (Ag–BaTiO₃) nanoparticles increased. The findings validate that the nanocomposite films of PVA–Ag–BaTiO₃ exhibit exceptional optical and electronic characteristics, thereby potentially promoting their implementation in diverse electric and optoelectric applications.