Abstract
The induced alterations in the optical properties of synthesized Polyaniline copper/polymethyl methacrylate, (PANI-Cu/PMMA) and polyaniline-copper/Cellulose Triacetate (PANI-Cu/CTA) nanocomposites (NCPs) owing to UV irradiation have been investigated. Regular arrangements of images for the NCP samples have been represented by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Samples from the prepared NCPs have been exposed to UV radiation in the fluence range 25–120 J/cm2. Different optical parameters of the blank and irradiated NCP samples have been examined using UV spectroscopy technique. The optical energy gap decreased from 4.79 and 2.63 to 4.22 and 1.42 eV for the PANI-Cu/PMMA and PANI-Cu/CTA NCPs, respectively, upon increasing the UV fluence up to 120 J/cm2. This could be attributed to increasing bonding between PANI-Cu NCP and PMMA or CTA polymers, reflected in an increase in the disordered character. The resultant effect of UV radiation on the PANI-Cu/CTA NCP assists in tailoring the optical properties of such NCP for usage in optoelectronics applications.