Synthesis and characterizations of ZnSe/PVA nanocomposites for optical and modulus study

In the present study, Zinc Selenide (ZnSe) nanoparticles with particle sizes below 13 nm were successfully synthesized and confirmed cubic crystal structure. A single photoluminescence peak was obtained at 465 nm and the peak intensity increased with a decrease in particle size. The nano-regime of these films has been verified by the energy band gap calculated from absorption spectra. According to some mechanical studies in the published work, in ZnSe/Poly Vinyle Alcohal (PVA) nanocomposite samples, microhardness (Hv) varies from 2.5 to 5.1 kg/mm2 and is a function of load (L) for different ZnSe concentrations. For pure PVA samples, upon reaching a load of 30 kg, Hv rises more quickly and tends to saturate. ZnSe nanoparticles are dispersed throughout the PVA host matrix, i.e., for ZnSe/PVA nanocomposites with varying ZnSe concentrations, the hardness (Hv) of the nanocomposite samples is higher than that of the pure PVA samples, indicating that nanocrystalline is significantly harder than PVA. Hv increases with increasing load up to 40 kg, after which it tends to saturate. For these samples, the Meyer index was more than 2, indicating the material's soft state. Elastic modulus rose between 3.8 and 6.6 kg/mm2 as hardness increased. The present investigation into ZnSe/PVA nanocomposites reveals several promising features that can be utilized in a range of practical applications in optoelectronic devices, flexible photonic materials, and nanoscale sensing devices. The significant enhancement in microhardness (Hv) and elastic modulus of ZnSe/PVA composites compared to pure PVA suggests their use in applications requiring mechanically robust yet lightweight materials, such as protective coatings, flexible electronics and structural nanocomposites for packaging or biomedical devices.