Surface treatment of copper (II) oxide nanoparticles using citric acid and ascorbic acid as biocompatible molecules and their utilization for the preparation of poly(vinyl chloride) novel nanocomposite films

In the present study, solution casting method was used for the preparation of nanocomposite films. Primarily, the surface of copper (II) oxide (CuO) nanoparticles was modified with biosafe molecules such as citric acid and ascorbic acid for better dispersion in the polymer matrix. Then novel nanocomposite films were fabricated by loading various percentages of modified CuO nanoparticles in the poly(vinyl chloride) matrix. The ultraviolet (UV)-blocking effects of nanocomposites and their optical properties were studied using UV-visible spectroscopy. Also, other analyses, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, mechanical tensile test, thermogravimetric analysis, and X-microscopy, were performed for investigating thermal, mechanical, and morphological properties of the hybrid materials.