Preparation and study the structural and optical properties of PS.Cu(etx)2 thin films for UV shield application

Abstract

Thin films of polystyrene PS and polystyrene doped by copper complex Cu_(etx)2, have been prepared on glass (quartz and pyrex) substrates by the spin coating method. The effect of Cu_(etx)2 weight ratios (0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06) wt% on the morphology, structural, and optical properties have been studied. The X-ray diffraction results showed that the pure PS thin films have an amorphous structure. Adding Cu_(etx)2 improves the crystalline structure by turning it into a polycrystalline state. FE-SEM images showed that the morphology of all samples was almost similar, smooth, and with few defects. The optical measurements showed that in general, PS and PS.Cu_(etx)2 thin films exhibited high absorption in the UV region and increased with Cu_(etx)2 weight ratios, as well as a high absorption coefficient (α>10⁴cm^-1) in the visible range with a direct allowed optical energy band gap E_g, and its value decreased from 3.8 eV for PS thin films to 3.05 eV for PS.Cu_(etx)2 thin films with 0.06 wt%. The research focused on the preparation of UV shield thin films as a practical application of the current study.