Influence of ZrO₂ Nanoparticles on Surface, Thermal, and Structural Properties of PVA/ZrO₂ Composite Films for Advanced Flexible Electronics Applications

The PVA/ZrO₂ composite, composed of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂), was developed utilizing a solution casting method to create flexible films for optical device applications. Characterization techniques, including Raman spectroscopy, FTIR, SEM, XRD, XPS, and EDX, confirmed the successful synthesis of the PVA/ZrO₂ composite, as evidenced by changes in the peak intensities of PVA observed in Raman, FTIR, and XRD analyses, indicating the effective incorporation of ZrO₂. Pure PVA showed distinct peaks at 2θ = 19.7° and 40.2°, typical of its semi-crystalline structure. With ZrO2 added, these peaks lessened and broadened, suggesting a decrease in crystallinity and effective incorporation of ZrO2 into the PVA matrix. Raman spectroscopy further validated these findings, showing distinct bands characteristic of PVA at 852, 921, 1365, and 1439 cm⁻¹. In the PVA/ZrO2 composites