Effect of PbI 2 concentrations on structural, thermal, optical, and radiation shielding properties of PVA/PbI 2 nanocomposites

Effect of PbI 2 concentrations on structural, thermal, optical, and radiation shielding properties of PVA/PbI 2 nanocomposites | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Effect of PbI 2 concentrations on structural, thermal, optical, and radiation shielding properties of PVA/PbI 2 nanocomposites Mohammed O. Alziyadi, Amani Alruwaili, M. Rashad, Soraya Abdelhaleem, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7908615/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 17 Dec, 2025 Read the published version in Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract In this study, PbI 2 nanoparticles have been doped in polyvinyl alcohol polymer (PVA) with different concentrations to form (PVA) 1−x (PbI 2 ) x polymer nanocomposite films with x = 0.01, 0.02,0.03, and 0.04. The synthesized films were then characterized to investigate the effect of PbI 2 embedded nanoparticles on the properties of PVA. The morphology of the surface of the films was analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), while elemental composition was studied by energy dispersive X-ray (EDX). The morphological study of the surfaces of the studied films revealed that the surface roughness increased with the increase of PbI 2 concentration, with the formation of larger crystallites and more visible structural features. The optical direct and indirect band gaps of PVA were found to decrease with the increase in PbI 2 dopants.. Additionally, the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that the high surface interaction linkages between PbI 2 and PVA, which are brought about by hydrogen bonding between the two materials, are responsible for the observed improvement in thermal stability. Furthermore, the Phy-X/PSD and XCOM programs were used to determine gamma-shielding properties at various energy ranges. The results show good agreement between the two programs. Additionally, the values of MAC for (PVA) 1−x (PbI 2 ) x nanocomposites are increased with increasing PbI 2 contents. HVL decreases with an increase in the PbI 2 doping. This confirms that x = 0.04 is the most effective shielding material. PVA/PBI nanocomposites Bandgap engineering Thermal stability Gamm radiation attenuation Radiation Shielding Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 9 Figure 10 Figure 11 Figure 12 1. Introduction Owing to its unique optoelectronic properties, lead iodide (PbI 2 ) has attracted great interest to researchers for the past years. PbI 2 is an intrinsic semiconductor material with a wide band gap (E g = 2.3–2.55 eV), high atomic number (Z = 82 for Pb, Z = 53 for I), high resistivity (up to 10 12 Ω⋅cm), and high mass density (6.2 g/cm 3 ) [ 1 – 4 ]. These exceptional properties give rise to the inclusion of PbI 2 in several industrial and technological applications such as ionizing radiation detectors and stoppers, nuclear radiation sensing and shielding, photoconductors, biological labeling and diagnostic photo-detectors, solar cells, sensors, and medical imaging [ 5 , 6 ]. Lead iodide consists of hexagonal-layered structure (I–Pb–I), in which layers are bonded by the weak van der Waals bond [ 1 , 3 , 7 ]. Polymer composites, which incorporate metallic particles and/or nanoparticles dispersed within a polymer matrix, have recently emerged as promising low-cost, flexible materials for multifunctional applications. The interaction between the polymer chains and embedded particles typically involves a combination of physical and chemical bonding mechanisms—such as hydrogen bonding, van der Waals forces, and in some cases, coordination or ionic interactions—depending on the nature of the filler and matrix. These interfacial bonds facilitate improved load transfer, enhanced dispersion stability, and modified local environments, which collectively contribute to the observed enhancements in optical, thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties [ 8 ]. Several studies have reported the enhanced properties of the polymer composite material when compared to the pure polymer. The dispersion of metals ions/ nanoparticles in polymer matrix was found to alter their structural, optical, and electrical properties due to the modified physical-chemical properties of the material [ 8 – 10 ]. Among the different types of polymers, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is one of the most significant polymers due to its unique properties such as low cost, simplicity of fabrication, biocompatibility, high solubility, eco-friendly, and dielectric strength. In addition, PVA has a great ability for film-forming by interacting with different fillers through the polymer chain –OH groups [ 11 ]. Lead iodide can be easily fabricated in the form of thin layer (thickness ≈ 10–100 µm) by dissolving lead powders in water and then depositing the solution on a substrate. However, these layers are found to be brittle and have poor adhesion to the substrate. Several studies reported that the addition of PVA to the water resulted in an increased strength of the deposited PbI 2 layer [ 12 , 13 ]. Recent investigations have highlighted the pivotal role of lead iodide (PbI₂) concentration in modulating the multifunctional properties of polymeric nanocomposites. Incorporating PbI₂ into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrices has been shown to significantly influence crystallinity, thermal resilience, and optical behaviour, with direct implications for radiation shielding performance. For instance, Maca Ossa et al. synthesized PVA/PbI₂ films via solvent evaporation and observed a transition from indirect to direct bandgap behaviour with increasing PbI₂ content, alongside enhanced electrical resistance and preserved polymer integrity as confirmed by FTIR analysis. Similarly, Sabry et al. reported a systematic reduction in optical bandgap and a rise in dielectric constants with higher PbI₂ loading, suggesting improved optoelectronic suitability and laser attenuation capabilities, where Lead iodide (PbI₂), on the other hand, is a layered semiconductor with a wide bandgap (2.3–2.55 eV), high atomic number, and strong photoconductive response, making it suitable for X-ray and γ-ray detection, photodetectors, and optoelectronic devices [ 14 , 15 ]. When integrated into a PVA matrix, PbI₂ nanoparticles can induce significant modifications in the polymer’s crystallinity, band structure, and dielectric behavior, enabling enhanced optical limiting, laser attenuation, and electrical conductivity[ 14 , 15 ]. More recently, Al-Hmoud et al. demonstrated that PbI₂ platelets embedded in PVB matrices (a PVA analogue) led to notable improvements in thermal stability and electronic relaxation dynamics, reinforcing the material’s potential for advanced shielding and device applications[ 16 , 17 ]. These findings collectively underscore the importance of PbI₂ concentration as a tunable parameter for optimizing the structural, thermal, optical, and shielding attributes of PVA-based nanocomposites. In the present work PbI 2 powder was dispersed in PVA matrix to form homogeneous (PVA) 1−x (PbI 2 ) x , with x = 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, and 0.04. Morphological, chemical composition, structural, optical, thermal, and mechanical properties of the synthesized films were studied to investigate the effect of PbI 2 doping on the properties of PVA. 2. Experimental work 2.1 Sample Preparation The preparation of PVA-PbI₂ nanocomposite films involved a two-stage solution casting methodology. Initially, a homogeneous PVA matrix solution was prepared by dissolving 2.0 g of polyvinyl alcohol in 200 mL of distilled water. The dissolution process was conducted at an elevated temperature of 80°C under continuous magnetic stirring conditions for a duration of two hours to ensure complete polymer chain dissolution and prevent aggregation. The resulting clear, viscous PVA solution was subsequently cooled to ambient temperature naturally. Concurrently, lead iodide solutions with varying concentrations were prepared to achieve different nanocomposite compositions. Four distinct PbI₂ solutions were formulated by dispersing precise quantities (0.01, 0.02, 0.03, and 0.04 g) of lead iodide powder in 30 mL of distilled water, designated as solution A. Each PbI₂ suspension underwent ultrasonic treatment using a bath sonicator operating at a frequency of 50 kHz with an ultrasonic power output of 100 W for 30 minutes to achieve optimal particle dispersion and prevent agglomeration. The nanocomposite films were fabricated by incorporating the PbI₂ solutions into the PVA matrix at a volume ratio of 50% (v/v), resulting in final compositions corresponding to 1, 2, 3, and 4 weight percentage of PbI₂ relative to the polymer matrix. The blending process involved mechanical stirring of the two-component system for 15 minutes followed by an additional ultrasonic treatment for 30 minutes to ensure homogeneous distribution of the inorganic phase within the polymer matrix. The resulting composite solutions were cast into clean Petri dishes and allowed to undergo controlled solvent evaporation at room temperature until complete film formation was achieved. 2.2 Characterization Methods Surface morphology and elemental distribution of the nanocomposite films were investigated using scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Representative samples, specifically (PVA)₀.₉₉(PbI₂)₀.₀₁ and (PVA)₀.₉₇(PbI₂)₀.₀₃ compositions, were examined using a tabletop scanning electron microscope (Zeiss EVO15, Germany) integrated with energy-dispersive spectroscopy capabilities (JEOL JCM-6000Plus). Sample preparation involved mounting film specimens onto brass stubs using double-sided conductive tape, followed by gold sputter coating to prevent charging effects during electron beam interaction. Imaging was performed at a magnification of ×1500 using an accelerating voltage of 20 kV to achieve optimal resolution and contrast. Crystallographic structure and phase identification of the nanocomposite films were determined through X-ray diffraction analysis using a Shimadzu XRD-6000 diffractometer. The instrument operated under standard conditions with an X-ray tube voltage of 40 kV and current of 30 mA, employing copper Kα radiation (λ = 0.15405 nm) as the X-ray source. Diffraction patterns were recorded over an appropriate angular range to capture characteristic peaks of both polymer and inorganic phases. Ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy was employed to evaluate the optical characteristics of the nanocomposite films using a Jasco 730 UV-VIS spectrophotometer. Transmission measurements were conducted across the wavelength range of 400–800 nm under ambient conditions to determine absorption edges and optical band gap values of the composite materials. Thermogravimetric analysis was performed using a Q50 TGA analyser (Kyoto, Japan) to assess the thermal decomposition behaviour and stability of the nanocomposite films. Measurements were conducted under controlled atmospheric conditions using nitrogen gas as the purge atmosphere with a flow rate maintained at 20 mL/min. Sample heating was programmed from ambient temperature to 600°C at a constant heating rate of 10°C/min to ensure accurate thermal transition detection and minimize thermal lag effects. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was utilized to confirm chemical structures and molecular interactions within the polymeric nanocomposite films using a Vertex 70 spectrometer (Bruker Optics, Germany). Spectral data were acquired over the wavenumber range of 400–4000 cm⁻¹ with a spectral resolution of 4 cm⁻¹. Each spectrum was obtained by averaging 3 scans to improve signal-to-noise ratio and ensure reproducible results. 3. Results and discussion 3.1. Morphological studies: Figure (1): SEM micrographs and EDX spectra for (PVA) 0.99 (PbI 2 ) 0.01 and (PVA) 0.97 (PbI 2 ) 0.03 samples, respectively. SEM micrographs (Figure (1a, 1b, and 1c) show the surface morphology at different magnifications for (PVA) 0.99 (PbI 2 ) 0.01 sample. The obtained micrograph (Figure (1a)) reveals a relatively smooth surface with some scattered particles. When examining at higher magnification (images b and c), it can observe a layered structure with some irregular features and crystalline formations. The surface shows moderate roughness with some protruding structures. Where the corresponding EDX spectrum (image d) confirms the presence of a dominant carbon (C) peak, which comes from the PVA polymer backbone besides Lead (Pb) peaks, though relatively small due to the low concentration (0.01) and Iodine (I) peaks, also showing low intensity consistent with the composition. Oxygen (O) peak from the PVA structure was also observed, see Figure (1d). For (PVA) 0.97 (PbI 2 ) 0.03 sample, SEM micrographs (Figure (1e, 1f, and 1g)) demonstrate notable differences in morphology. Image e shows a more textured surface compared to the lower concentration sample. The higher magnification images (Figure (1f and 1g)) reveal more pronounced layering with increased surface roughness, larger crystalline formations and more visible structural features On the other hand, EDX spectrum (image h) shows similar carbon and oxygen peaks from PVA with notably higher intensity Pb and I peak compared to sample d. The increased peak intensities align with the higher PbI 2 concentration (0.03) observed in (PVA) 0.97 (PbI 2 ) 0.03, see Figure (1h). The morphological differences between the two samples suggest that increasing the PbI 2 concentration affects the polymer matrix structure and crystallization behavior. This is evidenced by the more pronounced surface features and stronger EDX signals for the relevant elements. The unique morphological features can be attributed to two primary factors: the molecular interactions during the phase inversion mechanism and the extended thermal treatment period. This structural arrangement proves particularly advantageous, as it creates an extensive interfacial area owing to the presence of well-dispersed PbI 2 particles. Furthermore, the substantial porous volume within the polymer framework offers additional benefits for potential applications. 3.2. Structural Properties: The X-ray diffraction patterns in Figure (2) reveal the structural evolution of lead iodide (PbI₂) incorporation into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix at various compositions denoted as (PVA) 1−x (PbI ₂ ) x , where x ranges from 0.01 to 0.04. The diffractogram series is displayed with increasing PbI 2 content from bottom to top. Pure PbI 2 (topmost pattern) exhibits characteristic sharp diffraction peaks, with prominent reflections indexed as (006), (0012), (0111), (0018), and (0024) planes, indicating its highly crystalline hexagonal structure. The intense peak at approximately 25.81° corresponds to the (0012) plane, which is characteristic of the layered structure of PbI₂ according to the JSPCD card (no. 73-1754). The coexistence of sharp PbI₂ diffraction peaks alongside modified PVA reflections confirms the dual-phase nature of the composite system. The intensity of PbI₂ peaks decreases systematically with increasing PVA content, but their persistence indicates that the majority of PbI₂ maintains its crystalline integrity. The slight shifts in PbI₂ peak positions (± 0.1°) suggest some lattice distortion due to interfacial interactions, but no complete phase transformation occurs. The crystallite size for the pure phase of PbI 2 was calculated from Scherrer’s equation, \(\:D=\raisebox{1ex}{$K\lambda\:$}\!\left/\:\!\raisebox{-1ex}{$\beta\:cos\theta\:$}\right.\) [ 11 , 18 ], where β is the peak broadening and λ is the wavelength of the X-ray beam. The obtained result was D=42.3 nm besides the lattice constants for the hexagonal phase were a=b= 4.557±0.003Å and c=6.979±0.004 Å. By using the Williamson-Hall method relation ε = β cosθ/4 [ 18 ] gave an average macrostrain 3.24 × 10⁻³. Figure (2): X-ray diffractograms for (PVA) 1−x (PbI 2 ) x , with x = 0.01, 0.02,0.03,0.04 and pure PbI 2 samples. In the composite systems, several notable changes are observed with varying PbI 2₂ concentrations: At the lowest concentration (x = 0.01), the pattern shows predominantly amorphous characteristics typical of PVA, with broad peaks centered around 19.5° (101) and 40° (110). Additional weak reflections at approximately 31° (211) suggest the initial incorporation of PbI 2 into the polymer matrix [ 13 , 19 , 20 ]. In Figure (2), as the PbI 2 content increases (x = 0.01 to 0.04), there is a progressive enhancement in peak intensity along with the appearance of crystalline peaks related to PbI 2 . The composite with x = 0.03 exhibits well-defined diffraction peaks, particularly at 2θ values corresponding to both PVA and PbI₂ crystal planes. The presence of the (104) reflection at approximately 25° becomes more pronounced which is related to PbI 2 , indicating the formation of a semi-crystalline structure and related to the preferred orientation originated into PVA matrix and confirm the electron interaction between PbI 2 and PVA [ 21 ]. The diffraction patterns demonstrate successful incorporation of PbI 2₂ into the PVA matrix, evidenced by the systematic changes in peak positions and intensities. The preservation of characteristic peaks from both components suggests the formation of a composite system rather than complete structural transformation or degradation of either component. While the proposed coordination mechanism suggests partial dissociation of PbI₂ into Pb²⁺ and I⁻ ions within the PVA matrix, the XRD patterns clearly indicate that a significant fraction of PbI₂ remains in its crystalline form. This dual-phase behavior is expected in polymer–inorganic systems, where only a portion of the filler interacts chemically with the host matrix, while the rest retains its native crystallinity. The presence of sharp PbI₂ reflections alongside modified PVA peaks supports the coexistence of coordinated complexes and undissolved PbI₂ domains. The proposed mechanism for PVA/PbI₂ nanocomposite formation involves a partial dissociation process that occurs primarily at the PbI₂-PVA interface. While the bulk of PbI₂ nanoparticles retains its hexagonal crystalline structure (as confirmed by XRD), surface interactions and localized dissolution create coordination sites. [ 11 , 21 , 22 ]. PbI 2 nanoparticles were dissociated into the PVA-polymer matrix, and this limited dissociation can be corresponded to: PbI₂ (surface) ⇌ Pb²⁺(coordinated) + 2I⁻ (H-bonded) (1) Consequently, (-OH) or the hydroxyl groups of the PVA engage in coordination with Pb²⁺ ions while instantaneously establishing hydrogen bonds with iodide ions (I⁻). This dual interaction could be donated as: [-CH₂-CH(OH)-]n + Pb²⁺ → [-CH₂-CH(O···Pb²⁺)·-]n (2) [-CH₂-CH(OH)-]n + I⁻ → [-CH₂-CH(OH···I⁻)-]n (3) The formation of the resulting complex network led to noteworthy structural modifications in the polymer matrix. The hydroxyl groups of PVA serve as electron donors, coordinating with Pb²⁺ ions through their lone pair electrons, while simultaneously establishing hydrogen bonds with I⁻ ions. This comprehensive interaction mechanism concludes in the configuration of a three-dimensional network structure, characterized as: [-CH₂-CH(O···Pb²⁺···O)-CH₂-]n + [-CH₂-CH(OH···I⁻)-]n → [-CH₂-CH(O···Pb²⁺···I⁻···HO)-CH₂-]n (4) This complicated interaction network results in noticeable structural changes, such as diminished polymer chain mobility, altered crystallization behavior, and altered interchain distance. The creation of these coordination complexes significantly restricts chain movements, causing improved thermal stability and mechanical qualities for the composite system. Incorporating PbI 2 into the PVA matrix causes systematic changes in the polymer's morphology, such as differences in crystallite size, d-spacing, and overall crystallinity [ 11 ]. Table (I): structural properties of (PVA) 1−x (PbI 2 ) x where (x = 0.01, 0.02,0.03, and 0.04) samples. Sample composition Crystallite size (Å) d-spacing (Å) Interchain distance, R (Å) Strain ×10 − 3 Texture Coefficient, δ (nm) 2 Distortion Parameter ×10 − 3 (PVA) 0.99 (PbI 2 ) 0.01 18.7 4.48 5.12 1.86 0.95 2.14 (PVA) 0.98 (PbI 2 ) 0.02 16.9 4.45 5.09 2.15 0.91 3.52 (PVA) 0.97 (PbI 2 ) 0.03 15.2 4.43 5.06 2.43 0.88 4.87 (PVA) 0.96 (PbI 2 ) 0.04 14.1 4.41 5.03 2.67 0.85 5.96 Table (I) shows the structural parameters for (PVA) 1−x (PbI 2 ) x samples, the crystallite sizes were calculated from Scherrer’s equation as previously mentioned. The obtained results exhibit a decrease in crystallite size of the PVA with the increase in PbI 2 nanoparticles. The interplanar distance (d) was achieved form Bragg’s law, \(\:2d\:\text{sin}\theta\:=n\lambda\:,\:\) and the obtained results show the d-spacing values decreases from 4.48 to 4.41 Å. Where it was obtained from (101) plane for PVA semicrystalline and it was matched with [ 11 , 13 ]. On the other hand, the interchain distance (R) can calculated from, \(\:R=\raisebox{1ex}{$5\lambda\:$}\!\left/\:\!\raisebox{-1ex}{$8\:\text{sin}\theta\:$}\right.\:\) relation [ 11 , 23 , 24 ]. R- values exhibit a slight decrease with the increase in the PbI 2 nanoparticles. R represents the inter-crystalline separation in the amorphous region R. It is known that the R-value for pure PVA is equal to 5.78 Å [ 11 ]. Where in comparison there was a drastically decrease between the pure and the doped PbI 2 samples, Table (I). The decrease in R-value due to the interaction between Pb +2 with the hydroxyl (OH) group and the carbonyl group ( \(\:>C=O)\) PVA chain as mentioned in the mechanism between PbI 2 and PVA [ 25 ]. Strain values showed a systematic increase in lattice strain from 1.86×10 −3 for (PVA) 0.99 (PbI 2 ) 0.01 to 2.67×10 −3 for (PVA) 0.96 (PbI 2 ) 0.04 with cumulative PbI 2 concentrations in the PVA matrix, Table (I). The obtained results induced the local distortions from PbI 2 into the PVA chains arrangements. Also, the enhancement in the lattice strain values reveal a growth lattice deformation and structural modifications throughout the PVA matrix results from a production of coordination bonds between the hydroxyl groups of PVA and Pb + 2 ions. For the texture coefficient (δ) can be estimated from the following relation δ \(\:=\raisebox{1ex}{$1$}\!\left/\:\!\raisebox{-1ex}{${D}^{2}$}\right.\) [ 18 ]. Texture coefficient reveals a gradual decrease in δ with the increase in PbI 2 nanoparticles which showed a progressive reduction in the preferred orientation of the crystallites within PVA/PbI 2 composite films chains. This also may be attributed due to the disruption of the PVA chains by intercalated PbI 2 nanoparticles besides the production of new coordination complexes that may alter the natural packing tendency of the polymer chain. This obtained results confirm the modifications in the PVA molecular orientation effectively by PbI 2 leading to a more randomized distribution of crystallite orientations at higher dopant concentrations. Figure (3): FTIR spectra of (PVA) 100−x (PbI 2 ) x , x = 0.01,0.02,0.03, and 0.04 polymeric nanocomposite films. To determine the capacity of PbI 2 nanoparticles to interact with the polymeric PVA matrix, an FT-IR analysis was conducted in the wavenumber range of 400 cm − 1 to 4000 cm − 1 . The FT-IR spectra of PVA doped with PbI 2 nanocomposites are shown in Figure (3). A few stretching and bending vibration bands of (PVA) (OH, C-H, C = O, C = C, CH 2 ) [ 26 ] are summarized in Table (II). The absence of an absorption band for the hydroxyl group (-OH) at the wavenumber (3500 cm − 1 ) of (PVA) is evident from the picture; this implies that the hydroxyl groups of the (PVA) chains are connected to either intramolecular or hydrogen bonds between molecules. Because of (O–H) stretch vibrations, pure PVA showed a powerful broad peak in the band region 3503–3105 cm − 1 , and another peak at 2951–2900 cm − 1 due to (CH 2 ) asymmetric stretching [ 27 ]. The carbonyl (C = O) stretching bond may be responsible for the peak seen at 1732 cm − 1 , whereas the presence of (C–O) stretching has been demonstrated by the peak at 1095 cm − 1 . At 865 cm − 1 , a faint band indicated (C–C) stretching. Little peak shifting is visible at low PbI 2 concentrations. As the PbI 2 concentration rises, (O–H) stretching vibrations change to the 3601–3050 cm − 1 range, and (CH 2 ) unsymmetrical stretching shifts to the 2912–2927 cm − 1 region [ 11 ]. Additionally, whereas (C–O) stretching assigned to 1021 cm − 1 , the carbonyl stretching bond moved to 1735 cm − 1 . The chemical interaction between the nanoparticles and the polymer matrix may be supported by these findings. The emergence of additional absorption bands at around 723 cm − 1 suggested that a new chemical bond had formed in the PbI 2 /PVA nanocomposites. When contrasted to pure PVA, this finding indicated that its relationship with PbI 2 changed the structure of PVA by causing some extra peaks and frequency shifts. Two types stretching vibrations are typically asymmetric about 3700 cm − 1 and symmetric around 3600 cm − 1 [ 28 ]. The cation of the metal is anticipated to align with the polar groups in the host polymer matrix upon the incorporation of the salt, causing the complexation process. Certain infrared active modes of vibration will be impacted by this kind of interaction, which will also change the local framework of the backbone of polymers. In this regard, the complicated nature will be demonstrated by the infrared spectroscopic investigations [ 29 ]. Table (II): FTIR peak assignments for (PVA) 100−x (PbI 2 ) x , x = 0.01,0.02,0.03, and 0.04 nanocomposite films . Peak assignments wave numbers, (cm − 1 ) C–H stretching 2937 O−H stretching band 3331–3381 CH2 asymmetric stretching 1722 C = O stretching vibrations 1658 C = C stretching vibrations 1435 C–H bending vibrations 1388 C–O stretching vibrations 1103 3.3. Optical Properties: Figure (4) shows the absorption spectra for the (PVA) 1−x (PbI ₂ ) x films (x = 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04). The findings indicate a sharp increase in the absorbance with the PbI 2 content x = 0.02, however, the absorbance slightly increased with the PbI 2 content at x = 0.03, 0.04. The absorption coefficient (α) for the (PVA) 1−x (PbI ₂ ) x composites can be calculated by the following equation [ 8 ]: $$\:\alpha\:=2.303\frac{A}{d}\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\left(5\right)$$ where A is the absorbance and d is the thickness of the films. Figure (5) shows the values of ln(α) were presented versus energy (E), the results show the dependence of ln(α) on E, also the ln(α) values were found to increase with increasing the PbI 2 content, while the energy edge decreases with increasing the PbI 2 content. The energy band gap (E g ), can be calculated depending by Tauc relation [ 8 , 11 ]: $$\:({\alpha\:h\nu\:)}^{n}=B(h\nu\:-{E}_{g})$$ 6 where (hν) is the photon energy, n is 2 or 0.5 for direct or indirect transition, respectively, and B is a constant which depends on the type of transition. PVA can have both direct and indirect band gaps [ 11 ]. Moreover, previous studies indicated that the inclusion of inorganic particles within the polymer matrix could leads to direct and indirect transitions [ 30 ]. The direct and indirect energy band gaps of the (PVA) 1−x (PbI ₂ ) x composites are shown in Fig. (6a), (6b), respectively. The direct band gap is found to be approximately equal to 2.87 eV for the composite with 0.01 PbI 2 content, E g was found to diminish when the PbI 2 content was increased to 0.02 (E g ≈ 2.15), a slight change in E g values was seen for the ratios x = 0.03 and 0.04. The indirect energy band gap recorded 2.02 eV for PbI 2 content with x = 0.01, a decrease was found in the indirect energy band gap as the PbI 2 content was increased to 0.02 (E g ≈ 1.48), however, no major increase was observed with further increase of PbI 2 content. The bandgap reported for pure PVA in literature is found in between 4 to 6.4 eV, this decrease in the energy band gap after the inclusion of PbI 2 nanoparticles may be attributed to the formation of inter-molecular interaction between PbI 2 and PVA chains through hydrogen bonding affecting the properties of the PVA. Another explanation is related to the change of crystallinity of PVA after the inclusion of PbI 2 nanoparticles Figure (4): Absorbance spectra for (PVA) 1−x (PbI 2 ) x , with x = 0.01, 0.02,0.03, and 0.04 nanocomposite films. Figure (5): Variation of ln(α) with hυ for PbI 2 /PVA nanocomposite films. Figure (6): Energy bandgaps for PbI 2 /PVA nanocomposite films (a) direct bandgaps, (b) indirect bandgaps. 3.4. Thermal Properties: Ten milligrams of the plastic composite sample were tested in a thin sheet film. Polymer deterioration at varying temperatures can be produced by degradation through heat. Oxidation and breakdown are two instances of mass change. Figures (7) displays the PVA/PbI 2 's thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) curves at different concentrations of PbI 2 . It demonstrates that PVA/PbI 2 has a high level of thermal stability. Three phases may be distinguished in the weight decrease for a high concentration of PbI 2 , while for a low concentration of PbI 2 there are four stages for decomposition of polymeric films. Adsorbed water and partial dehydration of PVA chains in the PVA/PbI 2 plastic composite evaporates in the first stage before 4% weight loss (first stage) at temperatures between 55 and 110°C. The second stage's initial deterioration temperature (T onset ) was between 200 and 350 ° C, nearly 31–45% of the weight loss. It breaks down amorphous materials like iodine. The lead iodide content degrades in the same temperature range [ 31 ]. Almost 21–55% of the weight loss occurs during the third stage of rapid decomposition, which occurs between 400°C and 500°C. The PVA film's breakdown and deterioration are to blame for this weight loss [ 32 ]. In the case of composite samples, the addition of PbI 2 to PVA is what causes improved thermal stability. PbI 2 's incorporation into the PVA matrix may limit the movements of the polymer chains, which would reduce the composites' weight loss and cause a gradual deterioration. These findings are consistent with composites' increased thermal stability due to their combination of polymers and inorganic material [ 33 ]. The samples, decomposition temperature, and weight loss (%) for different samples are listed in table (III). Figure (7): TGA thermograms of (PVA) 1−x (PbI 2 ) x , with x = 0.01, 0.02,0.03, and 0.04 nanocomposite films. Table (III): The results of Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) for (PVA) 1−x (PbI 2 ) x , with x = 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, and 0.04 nanocomposite films Samples Temperature (T) and % of weight loss (WL) step 1 step 2 step 3 step 4 T (°C) WL (%) T (°C) WL (%) T (°C) WL (%) T (°C) WL (%) (PVA) 0.99 (PbI 2 ) 0.01 40–128 1 221–384 43 390–485 21 490–595 19 (PVA) 0.98 (PbI 2 ) 0.02 51–113 4 200–377 44 380–472 22 480–576 15 (PVA) 0.97 (PbI 2 ) 0.03 43–127 3 154–351 31 364–590 53 -- -- (PVA) 0.96 (PbI 2 ) 0.04 56–119 3 194–387 33 390–590 47 -- -- Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is a thermal technique, which is a suitable tool for defining the physical and chemical changes such as phase transitions, glass transition temperatures (T g ), and melting parameters (melting point) T m . The thermal properties of PVA doped with different concentrations of PbI 2 were examined by DSC to appreciate how the thermal transitions of the prepared films were affected by the different concentrations of PbI 2 as shown in Figure (7). The first peak, at 172.3°C, is caused by the glass transition and moisture desorption; the second peak, at 269.7°C, is caused by the melting point relaxation process resulting from the micro-Brownian motion of the main chain backbone, a broad transition may be assigned to the α-relaxation associated with the crystalline regions [ 34 ]. The third sharp peak at 492°C is attributable to degradation. This implies that the segments of the filled composites became less rigid as a result of the addition of PbI 2 , which promotes the segmental mobility of PVA. This suggests that the filler has plasticizing properties. Analyzing the thermograms reveals that the crystalline region is linked to a broadening of the α-relaxation width as the KI concentration increases [ 26 ]. As a result, Figure (7) shows a little fluctuation (about 3–18°C) with PVA but no discernible difference in T m among the composites. The fact that the PbI 2 had virtually no effect on the PVA melting temperature indicates that the interaction with PbI 2 took place through the polymer's amorphous portion and only slightly induced the crystalline portion. The literature reported that PVA and its composites had comparable melting temperature characteristics. Furthermore, the composites' decreased crystallinity could be the source of the modest drop in melting temperature [ 35 ]. 3.5 Radiation shielding study The mass attenuation coefficient (MAC), the half-value layer (HVL), the tenth-value layer (TVL), the mean free path (MFP), and the effective atomic number (Z eff) values of PVA composites doped with 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4% wt. of PbI 2 were calculated according to the following equations[ 36 ]: $$\:MAC\left({\mu\:}_{m}\right)=\frac{LAC\left(\mu\:\right)}{\rho\:}$$ 7 $$\:HVL=\frac{\text{l}\text{n}\left(2\right)}{\mu\:}$$ 8 $$\:TVL=\frac{\text{l}\text{n}\left(10\right)}{\mu\:}$$ 9 $$\:{Z}_{eff}=\frac{{\sigma\:}_{a}}{{\sigma\:}_{e}},\:\:\:where\:{\sigma\:}_{a}=\frac{N{\mu\:}_{m}}{{N}_{A}}\:,\:and\:{\sigma\:}_{e}=\frac{1}{{N}_{A}}\sum\:_{i}\frac{{f}_{i}{A}_{i}}{{Z}_{i}}{\left({\mu\:}_{m}\right)}_{i}$$ 10 Where: - f i is the fraction of the total number of electrons associated with each element, A i is the atomic mass, and z i is the atomic number of each element. \(\:\sum\:_{i}{n}_{i}\) is the total number of elements in the material. \(\:{\sigma\:}_{a}\:\) is the total atomic cross-section \(\:{\sigma\:}_{e}\:\) is the total electronic cross-sections The results obtained using XCOM, and Phy-X/ PSD, where the Phy-X/PSD and XCOM programs were used to determine gamma-shielding properties at various energy ranges [ 37 , 38 ]. Figure 8 shows the results of MAC for (PVA) 1−x (PbI 2 ) x nanocomposites with gamma energy from Phy-X/ PSD and XCOM programs. The achieved results showed a good agreement between two programs without and any contradictions. Additionally, the values of MAC for (PVA) 1−x (PbI 2 ) x nanocomposites are increased with increasing PbI 2 contents. From these results, the mass attenuation coefficients decrease as the photon energy increases. This is expected because higher-energy photons interact less with matter (e.g., Compton scattering dominates at intermediate energies, while pair production becomes significant at higher energies). At very low energies (e.g., 0.015 MeV), the coefficients are significantly higher due to the dominance of the photoelectric effect, which is highly energy-dependent (~ 1/E 3 ). For a given energy, the mass attenuation coefficient increases with increase PbI 2 concentration, suggesting that (PVA) 0.96 (PbI 2 ) 0.04 has a higher atomic number (Z) or density compared to (PVA) 0.99 (PbI 2 ) 0.01 . This aligns with the fact that materials with higher Z exhibit stronger photon attenuation (especially at low energies where the photoelectric effect is dominant) [ 39 – 41 ]. Where at low energy (0.015–0.1 MeV), the coefficients are very large (e.g., ~ 1.93 for (PVA) 0.99 (PbI 2 ) 0.01 at 0.015 MeV) and decrease rapidly with energy. This steep drop is characteristic of the photoelectric effect. The difference between materials ((PVA) 0.99 (PbI 2 ) 0.01 –(PVA) 0.96 (PbI 2 ) 0.04 ) is most pronounced here, indicating strong Z-dependence. At intermediate energy (0.1–2 MeV), the decrease in coefficients becomes less steep as Compton scattering becomes the dominant interaction. The differences between materials narrow, as Compton scattering depends less on Z and more on electron density. At high energy (> 2 MeV), the coefficients stabilize at low values (e.g., ~ 0.02–0.05 for –(PVA) 0.96 (PbI 2 ) 0.04 at 10–15 MeV). Pair production starts contributing, causing a slight increase in attenuation for higher-Z materials (visible in the gradual divergence of (PVA) 0.99 (PbI 2 ) 0.01 –(PVA) 0.96 (PbI 2 ) 0.04 at energies > 5 MeV). Figure (8): The change in the mass attenuation coefficient for (PVA) 1−x (PbI 2 ) x , with x = 0.01, 0.02,0.03, and 0.04 nanocomposite films, with photon energy. Lines expressed the results of Phy-X/ PSD and marks expressed the results of XCOM. Figure (9) shows the variation of LAC with gamma energy. Like the mass attenuation coefficient, the linear attenuation coefficient decreases with increasing photon energy, but the absolute values are higher because linear attenuation incorporates material density (units: cm⁻¹). At low energies (0.015–0.1 MeV), the coefficients are very large (e.g., 5.616 cm⁻¹ for (PVA) 0.96 (PbI 2 ) 0.04 at 0.015 MeV), dominated by the photoelectric effect. The sharp drop with energy reflects the ~ 1/E 3 dependence of photoelectric absorption. At intermediate energies (0.1–2 MeV), Compton scattering dominates, and the decrease becomes more gradual. At high energies (> 2 MeV), pair production contributes, causing a slower decline or slight uptick for high-Z materials (e.g., (PVA) 0.96 (PbI 2 ) 0.04 at (10–15 MeV). Figure (9): The change in the linear attenuation coefficient for (PVA) 1−x (PbI 2 ) x , with x = 0.01, 0.02,0.03, and 0.04 nanocomposite films, with photon energy. Figure (10) shows the change in HVL with photon energy. At low energies (0.015–0.1 MeV), HVL values are very small (e.g., 0.123 cm for x = 0.04 at 0.015 MeV), indicating that even thin layers of material can attenuate low-energy photons effectively. This is due to the dominance of the photoelectric effect, which is highly efficient at low energy. HVL increases rapidly as energy rises (e.g., x = 0.04 goes from 0.123 cm at 0.015 MeV to 1.765 cm at 0.1 MeV), reflecting the steep drop in photoelectric absorption. At intermediate Energies (0.1–2 MeV), HVL increases more gradually because Compton scattering (less energy-dependent) becomes the dominant interaction. At high Energies (> 2 MeV), HVL values are large (e.g., 27.14 cm for x = 0.04 at 15 MeV), showing that high-energy photons penetrate deeply. Pair production starts contributing, but its effect is modest compared to Compton scattering [ 36 , 42 , 43 ]. For any given energy, HVL decreases with increase the PbI 2 doping, meaning at x = 0.04 requires the smallest thickness to attenuate the beam by half. This confirms that at x = 0.04 is the most effective shielding material (likely the highest-Z or densest). The difference between materials is most pronounced at low energies (where photoelectric effect dominates) and narrows at higher energies (where Compton scattering is less Z-dependent). Figure (10): The change in the Half-Value Layer for (PVA) 1−x (PbI 2 ) x , with x = 0.01, 0.02,0.03, and 0.04 nanocomposite films, with photon energy. The change of the mean free path is shown on Figure (11) . Where at low energies (0.015–0.1 MeV), MFP is very small (e.g., 0.178 cm for x = 0.04 at 0.015 MeV), indicating high attenuation due to the photoelectric effect. Photons are easily absorbed, requiring minimal shielding thickness. MFP increases rapidly with energy (e.g., at x = 0.04: 0.178 cm → 2.547 cm from 0.015 → 0.1 MeV), consistent with the ~ E − 3 dependence of photoelectric absorption. At intermediate energies (0.1–2 MeV), MFP grows more gradually, reflecting Compton scattering dominance, which has weaker energy dependence. At high energy levels (> 2 MeV), MFP becomes large (e.g., 39.15 cm for x = 0.04 at 15 MeV), as pair production dominates but requires significant material thickness for effective shielding. Sample at x = 0.01 (lowest attenuation): Always has the largest MFP (e.g., 42.16 cm at 15 MeV) while sample at x = 0.04 (highest attenuation): Consistently the smallest MFP (e.g., 0.178 cm at 0.015 MeV). The gap between x = 0.01 and x = 0.04 narrows at higher energies, where Compton scattering reduces the Z-dependence of interactions [ 36 ]. Figure (11): The change in the Mean Free Path for (PVA) 1−x (PbI 2 ) x , with x = 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, and 0.04 nanocomposite films, with photon energy. The change of effective atomic number (Z eff ) is shown in Figures. (12). At low energies (0.015–0.1 MeV), Z eff is highest (e.g., 18.69 for S4 at 0.015 MeV) due to the photoelectric effect, which scales strongly with atomic number (~ Z⁴–Z⁵). Sharp decline in Z eff as energy increases (e.g., at x = 0.04 drops from 18.69 to 6.30 at 0.1 MeV), reflecting the reduced dominance of the photoelectric effect. At intermediate energies (0.1–2 MeV), Z eff stabilizes at lower values (e.g., ~ 3.5–4.6 for sample at x = 0.04) as Compton scattering (Z-independent) becomes dominant. At high energies (> 2 MeV), slight increase in Z eff (e.g., at x = 0.04 rises from 3.55 to 4.31 at 15 MeV) due to pair production, which scales with Z². Figure (12): The change in the effective atomic number for (PVA) 1−x (PbI 2 ) x , with x = 0.01, 0.02,0.03, and 0.04 nanocomposite films, with photon energy. Conclusion In this work, PbI 2 nanoparticles were dispersed in PVA polymer matrix with different concentrations. Several studies were carried out to investigate the effect of PbI 2 doping on the properties of PVA. Surface morphology measurements revealed the increase of the roughness of the surface with the increase of PbI 2 dopants. Structural analysis showed that the strain values and the crystal distortion increased with the increase of PbI 2 concentration. The optical bandgaps of PVA were drastically decreased with the increase of PbI 2 . The direct band gap is found to be approximately equal to 2.87 eV for the composite with 0.01 PbI 2 content and diminish when the PbI 2 content was increased to 0.02 (E g ≈ 2.15). The indirect energy band gap recorded 2.02 eV for PbI 2 content with x = 0.01 and decreased as the PbI 2 content was increased to 0.02 (E g ≈ 1.48). PVA/PbI 2 's thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) curves at different concentrations of PbI 2 demonstrated high level of thermal stability. The mass attenuation coefficient (MAC), the half-value layer (HVL), the tenth-value layer (TVL), the mean free path (MFP), and the effective atomic number (Z eff) values of PVA composites doped with 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4% wt. of PbI 2 were obtained using Phy-X/PSD and XCOM programs. The structural, optical, thermal, and radiation shielding properties of PVA/PbI 2 nanocomposites are suitable as radiation shield materials. Declarations Acknowledgment: Acknowledgements The authors extend their appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at the Northern Border University, Arar, KSA, for funding this research work through the project number NBU-FFR-2024-885-12. Author contribution statement: Mohammed O. Alziyadi : Funding, Measurements, review the final version , Amani Alruwaili : measurements, Software, Validation, Writing - review & editing . Mohammed Rashad : Funding resources, Experimental measurements, Software , Soraya Mohamed: Data curation, Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing Asma Alkabsh : Funding sources, measurements, Software , Mustafa Shalaby: Conceptualization, Methodology, Software, Data curation, Project administration, Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing . 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Rammah et al., Gamma ray exposure buildup factor and shielding features for some binary alloys using MCNP-5 simulation code. Nuclear Eng. Technol. 53 (8), 2661–2668 (2021) A.A. El-Soad et al., Simulation studies for gamma ray shielding properties of Halloysite nanotubes using MCNP-5 code. Appl. Radiat. Isot. 154 , 108882 (2019) Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 17 Dec, 2025 Read the published version in Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7908615","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":542957849,"identity":"75a91d76-552a-43db-9576-55479fcb9ddd","order_by":0,"name":"Mohammed O. 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(PVA)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1-x\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e(PbI\u003c/strong\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ex\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e, with x=0.01, 0.02,0.03, and 0.04 nanocomposite films.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage7.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7908615/v1/355310f4aedca3114dbae548.png"},{"id":95657293,"identity":"c1c1d7f9-5bb1-4541-af96-0d3723a33f46","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-11 16:20:30","extension":"png","order_by":8,"title":"Figure 8","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":38204,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe change in the mass attenuation coefficient for (PVA)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1-x\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e(PbI\u003c/strong\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ex\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e, with x=0.01, 0.02,0.03, and 0.04 nanocomposite films, with photon energy. Lines expressed the results of Phy-X/ PSD and marks expressed the results of XCOM.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage8.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7908615/v1/8621d721b1317a4d55895b93.png"},{"id":95635070,"identity":"70c706ba-b55d-4c09-a6bf-230030b03bf5","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-11 12:11:50","extension":"png","order_by":9,"title":"Figure 9","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":67979,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe change in the linear attenuation coefficient for (PVA)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1-x\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e(PbI\u003c/strong\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ex\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e, with x=0.01, 0.02,0.03, and 0.04 nanocomposite films, with photon energy.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage9.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7908615/v1/86d315cbf51056de83827a53.png"},{"id":95635066,"identity":"8f8450ba-9091-43bb-a2bd-858b1eb71274","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-11 12:11:50","extension":"png","order_by":10,"title":"Figure 10","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":65608,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe change in the Half-Value Layer for (PVA)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1-x\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e(PbI\u003c/strong\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ex\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e, with x=0.01, 0.02,0.03, and 0.04 nanocomposite films, with photon energy.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage10.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7908615/v1/5562a93827ca6884e7f38e1d.png"},{"id":95635064,"identity":"fb9db296-f949-41f0-8055-abe4e716edd0","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-11 12:11:49","extension":"png","order_by":11,"title":"Figure 11","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":65429,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe change in the Mean Free Path for (PVA)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1-x\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e(PbI\u003c/strong\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ex\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e, with x=0.01, 0.02, 0.03, and 0.04 nanocomposite films, with photon energy.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage11.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7908615/v1/7822c03325aad089f9db19a6.png"},{"id":95657262,"identity":"1432545d-9d5f-498d-8329-4d4fed051547","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-11 16:20:26","extension":"png","order_by":12,"title":"Figure 12","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":60865,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe change in the effective atomic number for (PVA)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1-x\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e(PbI\u003c/strong\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ex\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e, with x=0.01, 0.02,0.03, and 0.04 nanocomposite films, with photon energy.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage12.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7908615/v1/669180b5f5c53c44fd0cdf82.png"},{"id":98813862,"identity":"d293c94e-68a8-40a9-956a-b90388db5cf4","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-22 16:06:00","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":5921372,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7908615/v1/d5c76171-0648-4e04-9ab7-778d94eb78e7.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Effect of PbI 2 concentrations on structural, thermal, optical, and radiation shielding properties of PVA/PbI 2 nanocomposites","fulltext":[{"header":"1. Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eOwing to its unique optoelectronic properties, lead iodide (PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e) has attracted great interest to researchers for the past years. PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e is an intrinsic semiconductor material with a wide band gap (E\u003csub\u003eg\u003c/sub\u003e = 2.3\u0026ndash;2.55 eV), high atomic number (Z\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;82 for Pb, Z\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;53 for I), high resistivity (up to 10\u003csup\u003e12\u003c/sup\u003e Ω\u0026sdot;cm), and high mass density (6.2 g/cm\u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003e) [\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR2 CR3\" citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e]. These exceptional properties give rise to the inclusion of PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e in several industrial and technological applications such as ionizing radiation detectors and stoppers, nuclear radiation sensing and shielding, photoconductors, biological labeling and diagnostic photo-detectors, solar cells, sensors, and medical imaging [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e]. Lead iodide consists of hexagonal-layered structure (I\u0026ndash;Pb\u0026ndash;I), in which layers are bonded by the weak van der Waals bond [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePolymer composites, which incorporate metallic particles and/or nanoparticles dispersed within a polymer matrix, have recently emerged as promising low-cost, flexible materials for multifunctional applications. The interaction between the polymer chains and embedded particles typically involves a combination of physical and chemical bonding mechanisms\u0026mdash;such as hydrogen bonding, van der Waals forces, and in some cases, coordination or ionic interactions\u0026mdash;depending on the nature of the filler and matrix. These interfacial bonds facilitate improved load transfer, enhanced dispersion stability, and modified local environments, which collectively contribute to the observed enhancements in optical, thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e]. Several studies have reported the enhanced properties of the polymer composite material when compared to the pure polymer. The dispersion of metals ions/ nanoparticles in polymer matrix was found to alter their structural, optical, and electrical properties due to the modified physical-chemical properties of the material [\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR9\" citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e]. Among the different types of polymers, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is one of the most significant polymers due to its unique properties such as low cost, simplicity of fabrication, biocompatibility, high solubility, eco-friendly, and dielectric strength. In addition, PVA has a great ability for film-forming by interacting with different fillers through the polymer chain \u0026ndash;OH groups [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e]. Lead iodide can be easily fabricated in the form of thin layer (thickness\u0026thinsp;\u0026asymp;\u0026thinsp;10\u0026ndash;100 \u0026micro;m) by dissolving lead powders in water and then depositing the solution on a substrate. However, these layers are found to be brittle and have poor adhesion to the substrate. Several studies reported that the addition of PVA to the water resulted in an increased strength of the deposited PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e layer [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRecent investigations have highlighted the pivotal role of lead iodide (PbI₂) concentration in modulating the multifunctional properties of polymeric nanocomposites. Incorporating PbI₂ into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrices has been shown to significantly influence crystallinity, thermal resilience, and optical behaviour, with direct implications for radiation shielding performance. For instance, Maca Ossa et al. synthesized PVA/PbI₂ films via solvent evaporation and observed a transition from indirect to direct bandgap behaviour with increasing PbI₂ content, alongside enhanced electrical resistance and preserved polymer integrity as confirmed by FTIR analysis. Similarly, Sabry et al. reported a systematic reduction in optical bandgap and a rise in dielectric constants with higher PbI₂ loading, suggesting improved optoelectronic suitability and laser attenuation capabilities, where Lead iodide (PbI₂), on the other hand, is a layered semiconductor with a wide bandgap (2.3\u0026ndash;2.55 eV), high atomic number, and strong photoconductive response, making it suitable for X-ray and γ-ray detection, photodetectors, and optoelectronic devices [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e]. When integrated into a PVA matrix, PbI₂ nanoparticles can induce significant modifications in the polymer\u0026rsquo;s crystallinity, band structure, and dielectric behavior, enabling enhanced optical limiting, laser attenuation, and electrical conductivity[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e]. More recently, Al-Hmoud et al. demonstrated that PbI₂ platelets embedded in PVB matrices (a PVA analogue) led to notable improvements in thermal stability and electronic relaxation dynamics, reinforcing the material\u0026rsquo;s potential for advanced shielding and device applications[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e]. These findings collectively underscore the importance of PbI₂ concentration as a tunable parameter for optimizing the structural, thermal, optical, and shielding attributes of PVA-based nanocomposites.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the present work PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e powder was dispersed in PVA matrix to form homogeneous (PVA)\u003csub\u003e1\u0026minus;x\u003c/sub\u003e(PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003csub\u003ex\u003c/sub\u003e, with x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.01, 0.02, 0.03, and 0.04. Morphological, chemical composition, structural, optical, thermal, and mechanical properties of the synthesized films were studied to investigate the effect of PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e doping on the properties of PVA.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"2. Experimental work","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.1 Sample Preparation\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe preparation of PVA-PbI₂ nanocomposite films involved a two-stage solution casting methodology. Initially, a homogeneous PVA matrix solution was prepared by dissolving 2.0 g of polyvinyl alcohol in 200 mL of distilled water. The dissolution process was conducted at an elevated temperature of 80\u0026deg;C under continuous magnetic stirring conditions for a duration of two hours to ensure complete polymer chain dissolution and prevent aggregation. The resulting clear, viscous PVA solution was subsequently cooled to ambient temperature naturally.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eConcurrently, lead iodide solutions with varying concentrations were prepared to achieve different nanocomposite compositions. Four distinct PbI₂ solutions were formulated by dispersing precise quantities (0.01, 0.02, 0.03, and 0.04 g) of lead iodide powder in 30 mL of distilled water, designated as solution A. Each PbI₂ suspension underwent ultrasonic treatment using a bath sonicator operating at a frequency of 50 kHz with an ultrasonic power output of 100 W for 30 minutes to achieve optimal particle dispersion and prevent agglomeration.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe nanocomposite films were fabricated by incorporating the PbI₂ solutions into the PVA matrix at a volume ratio of 50% (v/v), resulting in final compositions corresponding to 1, 2, 3, and 4 weight percentage of PbI₂ relative to the polymer matrix. The blending process involved mechanical stirring of the two-component system for 15 minutes followed by an additional ultrasonic treatment for 30 minutes to ensure homogeneous distribution of the inorganic phase within the polymer matrix. The resulting composite solutions were cast into clean Petri dishes and allowed to undergo controlled solvent evaporation at room temperature until complete film formation was achieved.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.2 Characterization Methods\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eSurface morphology and elemental distribution of the nanocomposite films were investigated using scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Representative samples, specifically (PVA)₀.₉₉(PbI₂)₀.₀₁ and (PVA)₀.₉₇(PbI₂)₀.₀₃ compositions, were examined using a tabletop scanning electron microscope (Zeiss EVO15, Germany) integrated with energy-dispersive spectroscopy capabilities (JEOL JCM-6000Plus). Sample preparation involved mounting film specimens onto brass stubs using double-sided conductive tape, followed by gold sputter coating to prevent charging effects during electron beam interaction. Imaging was performed at a magnification of \u0026times;1500 using an accelerating voltage of 20 kV to achieve optimal resolution and contrast.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCrystallographic structure and phase identification of the nanocomposite films were determined through X-ray diffraction analysis using a Shimadzu XRD-6000 diffractometer. The instrument operated under standard conditions with an X-ray tube voltage of 40 kV and current of 30 mA, employing copper Kα radiation (λ\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.15405 nm) as the X-ray source. Diffraction patterns were recorded over an appropriate angular range to capture characteristic peaks of both polymer and inorganic phases.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eUltraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy was employed to evaluate the optical characteristics of the nanocomposite films using a Jasco 730 UV-VIS spectrophotometer. Transmission measurements were conducted across the wavelength range of 400\u0026ndash;800 nm under ambient conditions to determine absorption edges and optical band gap values of the composite materials.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThermogravimetric analysis was performed using a Q50 TGA analyser (Kyoto, Japan) to assess the thermal decomposition behaviour and stability of the nanocomposite films. Measurements were conducted under controlled atmospheric conditions using nitrogen gas as the purge atmosphere with a flow rate maintained at 20 mL/min. Sample heating was programmed from ambient temperature to 600\u0026deg;C at a constant heating rate of 10\u0026deg;C/min to ensure accurate thermal transition detection and minimize thermal lag effects.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFourier transform infrared spectroscopy was utilized to confirm chemical structures and molecular interactions within the polymeric nanocomposite films using a Vertex 70 spectrometer (Bruker Optics, Germany). Spectral data were acquired over the wavenumber range of 400\u0026ndash;4000 cm⁻\u0026sup1; with a spectral resolution of 4 cm⁻\u0026sup1;. Each spectrum was obtained by averaging 3 scans to improve signal-to-noise ratio and ensure reproducible results.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"3. Results and discussion","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.1. Morphological studies:\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFigure (1): SEM micrographs and EDX spectra for (PVA)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.99\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e(PbI\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e2\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.01\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e \u003cb\u003eand (PVA)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.97\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e(PbI\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e2\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.03\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e \u003cb\u003esamples, respectively.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSEM micrographs (Figure (1a, 1b, and 1c) show the surface morphology at different magnifications for (PVA)\u003csub\u003e0.99\u003c/sub\u003e(PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003csub\u003e0.01\u003c/sub\u003e sample. The obtained micrograph (Figure (1a)) reveals a relatively smooth surface with some scattered particles. When examining at higher magnification (images b and c), it can observe a layered structure with some irregular features and crystalline formations. The surface shows moderate roughness with some protruding structures.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhere the corresponding EDX spectrum (image d) confirms the presence of a dominant carbon (C) peak, which comes from the PVA polymer backbone besides Lead (Pb) peaks, though relatively small due to the low concentration (0.01) and Iodine (I) peaks, also showing low intensity consistent with the composition. Oxygen (O) peak from the PVA structure was also observed, see Figure (1d).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor (PVA)\u003csub\u003e0.97\u003c/sub\u003e(PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003csub\u003e0.03\u003c/sub\u003e sample, SEM micrographs (Figure (1e, 1f, and 1g)) demonstrate notable differences in morphology. Image e shows a more textured surface compared to the lower concentration sample. The higher magnification images (Figure (1f and 1g)) reveal more pronounced layering with increased surface roughness, larger crystalline formations and more visible structural features\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn the other hand, EDX spectrum (image h) shows similar carbon and oxygen peaks from PVA with notably higher intensity Pb and I peak compared to sample d. The increased peak intensities align with the higher PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e concentration (0.03) observed in (PVA)\u003csub\u003e0.97\u003c/sub\u003e(PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003csub\u003e0.03,\u003c/sub\u003e see Figure (1h).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe morphological differences between the two samples suggest that increasing the PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e concentration affects the polymer matrix structure and crystallization behavior. This is evidenced by the more pronounced surface features and stronger EDX signals for the relevant elements. The unique morphological features can be attributed to two primary factors: the molecular interactions during the phase inversion mechanism and the extended thermal treatment period. This structural arrangement proves particularly advantageous, as it creates an extensive interfacial area owing to the presence of well-dispersed PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e particles. Furthermore, the substantial porous volume within the polymer framework offers additional benefits for potential applications.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.2. Structural Properties:\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe X-ray diffraction patterns in Figure (2) reveal the structural evolution of lead iodide (PbI₂) incorporation into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix at various compositions denoted as (PVA)\u003csub\u003e1\u0026minus;x\u003c/sub\u003e(PbI\u003csub\u003e₂\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003csub\u003ex\u003c/sub\u003e, where x ranges from 0.01 to 0.04. The diffractogram series is displayed with increasing PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e content from bottom to top.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePure PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e (topmost pattern) exhibits characteristic sharp diffraction peaks, with prominent reflections indexed as (006), (0012), (0111), (0018), and (0024) planes, indicating its highly crystalline hexagonal structure. The intense peak at approximately 25.81\u0026deg; corresponds to the (0012) plane, which is characteristic of the layered structure of PbI₂ according to the JSPCD card (no. 73-1754). The coexistence of sharp PbI₂ diffraction peaks alongside modified PVA reflections confirms the dual-phase nature of the composite system. The intensity of PbI₂ peaks decreases systematically with increasing PVA content, but their persistence indicates that the majority of PbI₂ maintains its crystalline integrity. The slight shifts in PbI₂ peak positions (\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.1\u0026deg;) suggest some lattice distortion due to interfacial interactions, but no complete phase transformation occurs. The crystallite size for the pure phase of PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e was calculated from Scherrer\u0026rsquo;s equation, \u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:D=\\raisebox{1ex}{$K\\lambda\\:$}\\!\\left/\\:\\!\\raisebox{-1ex}{$\\beta\\:cos\\theta\\:$}\\right.\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e], where β is the peak broadening and λ is the wavelength of the X-ray beam. The obtained result was D=42.3 nm besides the lattice constants for the hexagonal phase were a=b= 4.557\u0026plusmn;0.003\u0026Aring; and c=6.979\u0026plusmn;0.004 \u0026Aring;. By using the Williamson-Hall method relation ε\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;β cosθ/4 [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e] gave an average macrostrain 3.24 \u0026times; 10⁻\u0026sup3;.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFigure (2): X-ray diffractograms for (PVA)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e1\u0026minus;x\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e(PbI\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e2\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003ex\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e, \u003cb\u003ewith x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.01, 0.02,0.03,0.04 and pure PbI\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e2\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e \u003cb\u003esamples.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the composite systems, several notable changes are observed with varying PbI\u003csub\u003e2₂\u003c/sub\u003e concentrations:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt the lowest concentration (x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.01), the pattern shows predominantly amorphous characteristics typical of PVA, with broad peaks centered around 19.5\u0026deg; (101) and 40\u0026deg; (110). Additional weak reflections at approximately 31\u0026deg; (211) suggest the initial incorporation of PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e into the polymer matrix [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn Figure (2), as the PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e content increases (x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.01 to 0.04), there is a progressive enhancement in peak intensity along with the appearance of crystalline peaks related to PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e. The composite with x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.03 exhibits well-defined diffraction peaks, particularly at 2θ values corresponding to both PVA and PbI₂ crystal planes. The presence of the (104) reflection at approximately 25\u0026deg; becomes more pronounced which is related to PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e, indicating the formation of a semi-crystalline structure and related to the preferred orientation originated into PVA matrix and confirm the electron interaction between PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e and PVA [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e]. The diffraction patterns demonstrate successful incorporation of PbI\u003csub\u003e2₂\u003c/sub\u003e into the PVA matrix, evidenced by the systematic changes in peak positions and intensities. The preservation of characteristic peaks from both components suggests the formation of a composite system rather than complete structural transformation or degradation of either component. While the proposed coordination mechanism suggests partial dissociation of PbI₂ into Pb\u0026sup2;⁺ and I⁻ ions within the PVA matrix, the XRD patterns clearly indicate that a significant fraction of PbI₂ remains in its crystalline form. This dual-phase behavior is expected in polymer\u0026ndash;inorganic systems, where only a portion of the filler interacts chemically with the host matrix, while the rest retains its native crystallinity. The presence of sharp PbI₂ reflections alongside modified PVA peaks supports the coexistence of coordinated complexes and undissolved PbI₂ domains.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe proposed mechanism for PVA/PbI₂ nanocomposite formation involves a \u003cb\u003epartial dissociation process\u003c/b\u003e that occurs primarily at the PbI₂-PVA interface. While the bulk of PbI₂ nanoparticles retains its hexagonal crystalline structure (as confirmed by XRD), surface interactions and localized dissolution create coordination sites. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e]. PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e nanoparticles were dissociated into the PVA-polymer matrix, and this limited dissociation can be corresponded to:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePbI₂ (surface) ⇌ Pb\u0026sup2;⁺(coordinated)\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;2I⁻ (H-bonded) (1)\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eConsequently, (-OH) or the hydroxyl groups of the PVA engage in coordination with Pb\u0026sup2;⁺ ions while instantaneously establishing hydrogen bonds with iodide ions (I⁻). This dual interaction could be donated as:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e[-CH₂-CH(OH)-]n\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;Pb\u0026sup2;⁺ \u0026rarr; [-CH₂-CH(O\u0026middot;\u0026middot;\u0026middot;Pb\u0026sup2;⁺)\u0026middot;-]n (2)\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e[-CH₂-CH(OH)-]n\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;I⁻ \u0026rarr; [-CH₂-CH(OH\u0026middot;\u0026middot;\u0026middot;I⁻)-]n (3)\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe formation of the resulting complex network led to noteworthy structural modifications in the polymer matrix. The hydroxyl groups of PVA serve as electron donors, coordinating with Pb\u0026sup2;⁺ ions through their lone pair electrons, while simultaneously establishing hydrogen bonds with I⁻ ions. This comprehensive interaction mechanism concludes in the configuration of a three-dimensional network structure, characterized as:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e[-CH₂-CH(O\u0026middot;\u0026middot;\u0026middot;Pb\u0026sup2;⁺\u0026middot;\u0026middot;\u0026middot;O)-CH₂-]n + [-CH₂-CH(OH\u0026middot;\u0026middot;\u0026middot;I⁻)-]n \u0026rarr; [-CH₂-CH(O\u0026middot;\u0026middot;\u0026middot;Pb\u0026sup2;⁺\u0026middot;\u0026middot;\u0026middot;I⁻\u0026middot;\u0026middot;\u0026middot;HO)-CH₂-]n (4)\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis complicated interaction network results in noticeable structural changes, such as diminished polymer chain mobility, altered crystallization behavior, and altered interchain distance. The creation of these coordination complexes significantly restricts chain movements, causing improved thermal stability and mechanical qualities for the composite system. Incorporating PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e into the PVA matrix causes systematic changes in the polymer's morphology, such as differences in crystallite size, d-spacing, and overall crystallinity [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable (I): structural properties of (PVA)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e1\u0026minus;x\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e(PbI\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e2\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003ex\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e \u003cb\u003ewhere (x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.01, 0.02,0.03, and 0.04) samples.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"No\" id=\"Taba\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSample composition\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCrystallite size (\u0026Aring;)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ed-spacing (\u0026Aring;)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eInterchain distance, R (\u0026Aring;)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eStrain \u0026times;10\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;3\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTexture Coefficient, δ\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e(nm)\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDistortion Parameter \u0026times;10\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;3\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e(PVA)\u003csub\u003e0.99\u003c/sub\u003e(PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003csub\u003e0.01\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e18.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.48\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.12\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.86\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.95\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.14\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e(PVA)\u003csub\u003e0.98\u003c/sub\u003e(PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003csub\u003e0.02\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16.9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.45\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.09\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.15\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.91\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.52\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e(PVA)\u003csub\u003e0.97\u003c/sub\u003e(PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003csub\u003e0.03\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e15.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.43\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.06\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.43\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.88\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.87\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e(PVA)\u003csub\u003e0.96\u003c/sub\u003e(PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003csub\u003e0.04\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.41\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.03\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.67\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.85\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.96\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTable (I) shows the structural parameters for (PVA)\u003csub\u003e1\u0026minus;x\u003c/sub\u003e(PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003csub\u003ex\u003c/sub\u003e samples, the crystallite sizes were calculated from Scherrer\u0026rsquo;s equation as previously mentioned. The obtained results exhibit a decrease in crystallite size of the PVA with the increase in PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e nanoparticles. The interplanar distance (d) was achieved form Bragg\u0026rsquo;s law, \u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:2d\\:\\text{sin}\\theta\\:=n\\lambda\\:,\\:\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e and the obtained results show the d-spacing values decreases from 4.48 to 4.41 \u0026Aring;. Where it was obtained from (101) plane for PVA semicrystalline and it was matched with [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e]. On the other hand, the interchain distance (R) can calculated from, \u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:R=\\raisebox{1ex}{$5\\lambda\\:$}\\!\\left/\\:\\!\\raisebox{-1ex}{$8\\:\\text{sin}\\theta\\:$}\\right.\\:\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e relation [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e]. R- values exhibit a slight decrease with the increase in the PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e nanoparticles. R represents the inter-crystalline separation in the amorphous region R. It is known that the R-value for pure PVA is equal to 5.78 \u0026Aring; [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e]. Where in comparison there was a drastically decrease between the pure and the doped PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e samples, Table (I). The decrease in R-value due to the interaction between Pb\u003csup\u003e+2\u003c/sup\u003e with the hydroxyl (OH) group and the carbonyl group (\u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:\u0026gt;C=O)\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e PVA chain as mentioned in the mechanism between PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e and PVA [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e]. Strain values showed a systematic increase in lattice strain from 1.86\u0026times;10\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;3\u003c/sup\u003e for (PVA)\u003csub\u003e0.99\u003c/sub\u003e(PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003csub\u003e0.01\u003c/sub\u003e to 2.67\u0026times;10\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;3\u003c/sup\u003e for (PVA)\u003csub\u003e0.96\u003c/sub\u003e(PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003csub\u003e0.04\u003c/sub\u003e with cumulative PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e concentrations in the PVA matrix, Table (I). The obtained results induced the local distortions from PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e into the PVA chains arrangements. Also, the enhancement in the lattice strain values reveal a growth lattice deformation and structural modifications throughout the PVA matrix results from a production of coordination bonds between the hydroxyl groups of PVA and Pb\u003csup\u003e+\u0026thinsp;2\u003c/sup\u003e ions.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor the texture coefficient (δ) can be estimated from the following relation δ\u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:=\\raisebox{1ex}{$1$}\\!\\left/\\:\\!\\raisebox{-1ex}{${D}^{2}$}\\right.\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e]. Texture coefficient reveals a gradual decrease in δ with the increase in PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e nanoparticles which showed a progressive reduction in the preferred orientation of the crystallites within PVA/PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e composite films chains. This also may be attributed due to the disruption of the PVA chains by intercalated PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e nanoparticles besides the production of new coordination complexes that may alter the natural packing tendency of the polymer chain. This obtained results confirm the modifications in the PVA molecular orientation effectively by PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e leading to a more randomized distribution of crystallite orientations at higher dopant concentrations.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFigure (3): FTIR spectra of (PVA)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e100\u0026minus;x\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e(PbI\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e2\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003ex\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e, \u003cb\u003ex\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.01,0.02,0.03, and 0.04 polymeric nanocomposite films.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo determine the capacity of PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e nanoparticles to interact with the polymeric PVA matrix, an FT-IR analysis was conducted in the wavenumber range of 400 cm\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e to 4000 cm\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e. The FT-IR spectra of PVA doped with PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e nanocomposites are shown in Figure (3). A few stretching and bending vibration bands of (PVA) (OH, C-H, C\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;O, C\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;C, CH\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e) [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e] are summarized in Table (II).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe absence of an absorption band for the hydroxyl group (-OH) at the wavenumber (3500 cm\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e) of (PVA) is evident from the picture; this implies that the hydroxyl groups of the (PVA) chains are connected to either intramolecular or hydrogen bonds between molecules. Because of (O\u0026ndash;H) stretch vibrations, pure PVA showed a powerful broad peak in the band region 3503\u0026ndash;3105 cm\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, and another peak at 2951\u0026ndash;2900 cm\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e due to (CH\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e) asymmetric stretching [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e]. The carbonyl (C\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;O) stretching bond may be responsible for the peak seen at 1732 cm\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, whereas the presence of (C\u0026ndash;O) stretching has been demonstrated by the peak at 1095 cm\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e. At 865 cm\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, a faint band indicated (C\u0026ndash;C) stretching. Little peak shifting is visible at low PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e concentrations. As the PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e concentration rises, (O\u0026ndash;H) stretching vibrations change to the 3601\u0026ndash;3050 cm\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e range, and (CH\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e) unsymmetrical stretching shifts to the 2912\u0026ndash;2927 cm\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e region [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e]. Additionally, whereas (C\u0026ndash;O) stretching assigned to 1021 cm\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, the carbonyl stretching bond moved to 1735 cm\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e. The chemical interaction between the nanoparticles and the polymer matrix may be supported by these findings. The emergence of additional absorption bands at around 723 cm\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e suggested that a new chemical bond had formed in the PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e/PVA nanocomposites. When contrasted to pure PVA, this finding indicated that its relationship with PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e changed the structure of PVA by causing some extra peaks and frequency shifts. Two types stretching vibrations are typically asymmetric about 3700 cm\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e and symmetric around 3600 cm\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e]. The cation of the metal is anticipated to align with the polar groups in the host polymer matrix upon the incorporation of the salt, causing the complexation process. Certain infrared active modes of vibration will be impacted by this kind of interaction, which will also change the local framework of the backbone of polymers. In this regard, the complicated nature will be demonstrated by the infrared spectroscopic investigations [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable (II): FTIR peak assignments for (PVA)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e100\u0026minus;x\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e(PbI\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e2\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003ex\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e, \u003cb\u003ex\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.01,0.02,0.03, and 0.04 nanocomposite films .\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"No\" id=\"Tabb\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"2\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePeak assignments\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ewave numbers, (cm\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eC\u0026ndash;H stretching\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2937\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eO\u0026minus;H stretching band\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3331\u0026ndash;3381\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCH2 asymmetric stretching\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1722\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;O stretching vibrations\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1658\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;C stretching vibrations\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1435\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eC\u0026ndash;H bending vibrations\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1388\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eC\u0026ndash;O stretching vibrations\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1103\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.3. Optical Properties:\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eFigure (4) shows the absorption spectra for the (PVA)\u003csub\u003e1\u0026minus;x\u003c/sub\u003e(PbI\u003csub\u003e₂\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003csub\u003ex\u003c/sub\u003e films (x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04). The findings indicate a sharp increase in the absorbance with the PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e content x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.02, however, the absorbance slightly increased with the PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e content at x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.03, 0.04. The absorption coefficient (α) for the (PVA)\u003csub\u003e1\u0026minus;x\u003c/sub\u003e(PbI\u003csub\u003e₂\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003csub\u003ex\u003c/sub\u003e composites can be calculated by the following equation [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e]:\u003cdiv id=\"Equa\" class=\"Equation\"\u003e\u003cdiv format=\"TEX\" class=\"mathdisplay\" id=\"FileID_Equa\" name=\"EquationSource\"\u003e\n$$\\:\\alpha\\:=2.303\\frac{A}{d}\\:\\:\\:\\:\\:\\:\\:\\:\\:\\:\\:\\:\\:\\:\\:\\:\\:\\:\\:\\:\\:\\:\\left(5\\right)$$\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ewhere A is the absorbance and d is the thickness of the films. Figure\u0026nbsp;(5) shows the values of ln(α) were presented versus energy (E), the results show the dependence of ln(α) on E, also the ln(α) values were found to increase with increasing the PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e content, while the energy edge decreases with increasing the PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e content.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe energy band gap (E\u003csub\u003eg\u003c/sub\u003e), can be calculated depending by Tauc relation [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e]:\u003cdiv id=\"Equ1\" class=\"Equation\"\u003e\u003cdiv format=\"TEX\" class=\"mathdisplay\" id=\"FileID_Equ1\" name=\"EquationSource\"\u003e\n$$\\:({\\alpha\\:h\\nu\\:)}^{n}=B(h\\nu\\:-{E}_{g})$$\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"EquationNumber\"\u003e6\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ewhere (hν) is the photon energy, n is 2 or 0.5 for direct or indirect transition, respectively, and B is a constant which depends on the type of transition.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePVA can have both direct and indirect band gaps [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e]. Moreover, previous studies indicated that the inclusion of inorganic particles within the polymer matrix could leads to direct and indirect transitions [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e]. The direct and indirect energy band gaps of the (PVA)\u003csub\u003e1\u0026minus;x\u003c/sub\u003e(PbI\u003csub\u003e₂\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003csub\u003ex\u003c/sub\u003e composites are shown in Fig.\u0026nbsp;(6a), (6b), respectively. The direct band gap is found to be approximately equal to 2.87 eV for the composite with 0.01 PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e content, E\u003csub\u003eg\u003c/sub\u003e was found to diminish when the PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e content was increased to 0.02 (E\u003csub\u003eg\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026asymp; 2.15), a slight change in E\u003csub\u003eg\u003c/sub\u003e values was seen for the ratios x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.03 and 0.04. The indirect energy band gap recorded 2.02 eV for PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e content with x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.01, a decrease was found in the indirect energy band gap as the PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e content was increased to 0.02 (E\u003csub\u003eg\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026asymp; 1.48), however, no major increase was observed with further increase of PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e content. The bandgap reported for pure PVA in literature is found in between 4 to 6.4 eV, this decrease in the energy band gap after the inclusion of PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e nanoparticles may be attributed to the formation of inter-molecular interaction between PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e and PVA chains through hydrogen bonding affecting the properties of the PVA. Another explanation is related to the change of crystallinity of PVA after the inclusion of PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e nanoparticles\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFigure (4): Absorbance spectra for (PVA)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e1\u0026minus;x\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e(PbI\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e2\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003ex\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e, \u003cb\u003ewith x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.01, 0.02,0.03, and 0.04 nanocomposite films.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFigure (5): Variation of ln(α) with hυ for PbI\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e2\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e/PVA nanocomposite films.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFigure (6): Energy bandgaps for PbI\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e2\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e/PVA nanocomposite films (a) direct bandgaps, (b) indirect bandgaps.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec9\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.4. Thermal Properties:\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eTen milligrams of the plastic composite sample were tested in a thin sheet film. Polymer deterioration at varying temperatures can be produced by degradation through heat. Oxidation and breakdown are two instances of mass change. Figures\u0026nbsp;(7) displays the PVA/PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e's thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) curves at different concentrations of PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e. It demonstrates that PVA/PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e has a high level of thermal stability. Three phases may be distinguished in the weight decrease for a high concentration of PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e, while for a low concentration of PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e there are four stages for decomposition of polymeric films. Adsorbed water and partial dehydration of PVA chains in the PVA/PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e plastic composite evaporates in the first stage before 4% weight loss (first stage) at temperatures between 55 and 110\u0026deg;C. The second stage's initial deterioration temperature (T\u003csub\u003eonset\u003c/sub\u003e) was between 200 and 350 \u0026deg; C, nearly 31\u0026ndash;45% of the weight loss. It breaks down amorphous materials like iodine. The lead iodide content degrades in the same temperature range [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e]. Almost 21\u0026ndash;55% of the weight loss occurs during the third stage of rapid decomposition, which occurs between 400\u0026deg;C and 500\u0026deg;C. The PVA film's breakdown and deterioration are to blame for this weight loss [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e]. In the case of composite samples, the addition of PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e to PVA is what causes improved thermal stability. PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e's incorporation into the PVA matrix may limit the movements of the polymer chains, which would reduce the composites' weight loss and cause a gradual deterioration. These findings are consistent with composites' increased thermal stability due to their combination of polymers and inorganic material [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e]. The samples, decomposition temperature, and weight loss (%) for different samples are listed in table (III).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFigure (7): TGA thermograms of (PVA)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e1\u0026minus;x\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e(PbI\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e2\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003ex\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e, \u003cb\u003ewith x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.01, 0.02,0.03, and 0.04 nanocomposite films.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable (III): The results of Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) for (PVA)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e1\u0026minus;x\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e(PbI\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e2\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003ex\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e, \u003cb\u003ewith x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.01, 0.02, 0.03, and 0.04 nanocomposite films\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"No\" id=\"Tabc\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"9\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c9\" colnum=\"9\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSamples\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"8\" nameend=\"c9\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTemperature (T) and % of weight loss (WL)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003estep 1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003estep 2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003estep 3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c9\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003estep 4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eT (\u0026deg;C)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWL (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eT (\u0026deg;C)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWL (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eT (\u0026deg;C)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWL (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eT (\u0026deg;C)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWL (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e(PVA)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.99\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e(PbI\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e2\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.01\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e40\u0026ndash;128\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e221\u0026ndash;384\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e43\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e390\u0026ndash;485\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e21\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e490\u0026ndash;595\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e19\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e(PVA)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.98\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e(PbI\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e2\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.02\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e51\u0026ndash;113\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e200\u0026ndash;377\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e44\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e380\u0026ndash;472\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e22\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e480\u0026ndash;576\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e(PVA)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.97\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e(PbI\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e2\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.03\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e43\u0026ndash;127\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e154\u0026ndash;351\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e31\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e364\u0026ndash;590\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e53\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e--\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e--\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e(PVA)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.96\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e(PbI\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e2\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.04\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e56\u0026ndash;119\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e194\u0026ndash;387\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e33\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e390\u0026ndash;590\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e47\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e--\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e--\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDifferential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is a thermal technique, which is a suitable tool for defining the physical and chemical changes such as phase transitions, glass transition temperatures (T\u003csub\u003eg\u003c/sub\u003e), and melting parameters (melting point) T\u003csub\u003em\u003c/sub\u003e. The thermal properties of PVA doped with different concentrations of PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e were examined by DSC to appreciate how the thermal transitions of the prepared films were affected by the different concentrations of PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e as shown in Figure (7). The first peak, at 172.3\u0026deg;C, is caused by the glass transition and moisture desorption; the second peak, at 269.7\u0026deg;C, is caused by the melting point relaxation process resulting from the micro-Brownian motion of the main chain backbone, a broad transition may be assigned to the α-relaxation associated with the crystalline regions [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e34\u003c/span\u003e]. The third sharp peak at 492\u0026deg;C is attributable to degradation. This implies that the segments of the filled composites became less rigid as a result of the addition of PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e, which promotes the segmental mobility of PVA. This suggests that the filler has plasticizing properties. Analyzing the thermograms reveals that the crystalline region is linked to a broadening of the α-relaxation width as the KI concentration increases [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e]. As a result, Figure (7) shows a little fluctuation (about 3\u0026ndash;18\u0026deg;C) with PVA but no discernible difference in T\u003csub\u003em\u003c/sub\u003e among the composites. The fact that the PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e had virtually no effect on the PVA melting temperature indicates that the interaction with PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e took place through the polymer's amorphous portion and only slightly induced the crystalline portion. The literature reported that PVA and its composites had comparable melting temperature characteristics. Furthermore, the composites' decreased crystallinity could be the source of the modest drop in melting temperature [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec10\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.5 Radiation shielding study\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe mass attenuation coefficient (MAC), the half-value layer (HVL), the tenth-value layer (TVL), the mean free path (MFP), and the effective atomic number (Z\u003csub\u003eeff)\u003c/sub\u003e values of PVA composites doped with 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4% wt. of PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e were calculated according to the following equations[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e]:\u003cdiv id=\"Equ2\" class=\"Equation\"\u003e\u003cdiv format=\"TEX\" class=\"mathdisplay\" id=\"FileID_Equ2\" name=\"EquationSource\"\u003e\n$$\\:MAC\\left({\\mu\\:}_{m}\\right)=\\frac{LAC\\left(\\mu\\:\\right)}{\\rho\\:}$$\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"EquationNumber\"\u003e7\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Equ3\" class=\"Equation\"\u003e\u003cdiv format=\"TEX\" class=\"mathdisplay\" id=\"FileID_Equ3\" name=\"EquationSource\"\u003e\n$$\\:HVL=\\frac{\\text{l}\\text{n}\\left(2\\right)}{\\mu\\:}$$\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"EquationNumber\"\u003e8\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Equ4\" class=\"Equation\"\u003e\u003cdiv format=\"TEX\" class=\"mathdisplay\" id=\"FileID_Equ4\" name=\"EquationSource\"\u003e\n$$\\:TVL=\\frac{\\text{l}\\text{n}\\left(10\\right)}{\\mu\\:}$$\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"EquationNumber\"\u003e9\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Equ5\" class=\"Equation\"\u003e\u003cdiv format=\"TEX\" class=\"mathdisplay\" id=\"FileID_Equ5\" name=\"EquationSource\"\u003e\n$$\\:{Z}_{eff}=\\frac{{\\sigma\\:}_{a}}{{\\sigma\\:}_{e}},\\:\\:\\:where\\:{\\sigma\\:}_{a}=\\frac{N{\\mu\\:}_{m}}{{N}_{A}}\\:,\\:and\\:{\\sigma\\:}_{e}=\\frac{1}{{N}_{A}}\\sum\\:_{i}\\frac{{f}_{i}{A}_{i}}{{Z}_{i}}{\\left({\\mu\\:}_{m}\\right)}_{i}$$\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"EquationNumber\"\u003e10\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhere: -\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ef\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cem\u003ei\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e is the fraction of the total number of electrons associated with each element,\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cem\u003ei\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e is the atomic mass, and\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ez\u003csub\u003ei\u003c/sub\u003e is the atomic number of each element.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:\\sum\\:_{i}{n}_{i}\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e is the total number of elements in the material.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:{\\sigma\\:}_{a}\\:\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003eis the total atomic cross-section\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:{\\sigma\\:}_{e}\\:\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003eis the total electronic cross-sections\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe results obtained using XCOM, and Phy-X/ PSD, where the Phy-X/PSD and XCOM programs were used to determine gamma-shielding properties at various energy ranges [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e38\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFigure\u0026nbsp;8\u003c/b\u003e shows the results of MAC for (PVA)\u003csub\u003e1\u0026minus;x\u003c/sub\u003e(PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003csub\u003ex\u003c/sub\u003e nanocomposites with gamma energy from Phy-X/ PSD and XCOM programs. The achieved results showed a good agreement between two programs without and any contradictions. Additionally, the values of MAC for (PVA)\u003csub\u003e1\u0026minus;x\u003c/sub\u003e(PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003csub\u003ex\u003c/sub\u003e nanocomposites are increased with increasing PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e contents. From these results, the mass attenuation coefficients decrease as the photon energy increases. This is expected because higher-energy photons interact less with matter (e.g., Compton scattering dominates at intermediate energies, while pair production becomes significant at higher energies). At very low energies (e.g., 0.015 MeV), the coefficients are significantly higher due to the dominance of the photoelectric effect, which is highly energy-dependent (~\u0026thinsp;1/E\u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003e). For a given energy, the mass attenuation coefficient increases with increase PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e concentration, suggesting that (PVA)\u003csub\u003e0.96\u003c/sub\u003e(PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003csub\u003e0.04\u003c/sub\u003e has a higher atomic number (Z) or density compared to (PVA)\u003csub\u003e0.99\u003c/sub\u003e(PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003csub\u003e0.01\u003c/sub\u003e. This aligns with the fact that materials with higher Z exhibit stronger photon attenuation (especially at low energies where the photoelectric effect is dominant) [\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR40\" citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e39\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR41\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e41\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhere at low energy (0.015\u0026ndash;0.1 MeV), the coefficients are very large (e.g., ~\u0026thinsp;1.93 for (PVA)\u003csub\u003e0.99\u003c/sub\u003e(PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003csub\u003e0.01\u003c/sub\u003e at 0.015 MeV) and decrease rapidly with energy. This steep drop is characteristic of the photoelectric effect. The difference between materials ((PVA)\u003csub\u003e0.99\u003c/sub\u003e(PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003csub\u003e0.01\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash;(PVA)\u003csub\u003e0.96\u003c/sub\u003e(PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003csub\u003e0.04\u003c/sub\u003e) is most pronounced here, indicating strong Z-dependence.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt intermediate energy (0.1\u0026ndash;2 MeV), the decrease in coefficients becomes less steep as Compton scattering becomes the dominant interaction. The differences between materials narrow, as Compton scattering depends less on Z and more on electron density.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt high energy (\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;2 MeV), the coefficients stabilize at low values (e.g., ~\u0026thinsp;0.02\u0026ndash;0.05 for \u0026ndash;(PVA)\u003csub\u003e0.96\u003c/sub\u003e(PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003csub\u003e0.04\u003c/sub\u003e at 10\u0026ndash;15 MeV). Pair production starts contributing, causing a slight increase in attenuation for higher-Z materials (visible in the gradual divergence of (PVA)\u003csub\u003e0.99\u003c/sub\u003e(PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003csub\u003e0.01\u003c/sub\u003e\u0026ndash;(PVA)\u003csub\u003e0.96\u003c/sub\u003e(PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003csub\u003e0.04\u003c/sub\u003e at energies\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;5 MeV).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFigure (8): The change in the mass attenuation coefficient for (PVA)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e1\u0026minus;x\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e(PbI\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e2\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003ex\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e, \u003cb\u003ewith x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.01, 0.02,0.03, and 0.04 nanocomposite films, with photon energy. Lines expressed the results of Phy-X/ PSD and marks expressed the results of XCOM.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFigure (9)\u003c/b\u003e shows the variation of LAC with gamma energy. Like the mass attenuation coefficient, the linear attenuation coefficient decreases with increasing photon energy, but the absolute values are higher because linear attenuation incorporates material density (units: cm⁻\u0026sup1;). At low energies (0.015\u0026ndash;0.1 MeV), the coefficients are very large (e.g., 5.616 cm⁻\u0026sup1; for (PVA)\u003csub\u003e0.96\u003c/sub\u003e(PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003csub\u003e0.04\u003c/sub\u003e at 0.015 MeV), dominated by the photoelectric effect. The sharp drop with energy reflects the ~\u0026thinsp;1/E\u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003e dependence of photoelectric absorption. At intermediate energies (0.1\u0026ndash;2 MeV), Compton scattering dominates, and the decrease becomes more gradual. At high energies (\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;2 MeV), pair production contributes, causing a slower decline or slight uptick for high-Z materials (e.g., (PVA)\u003csub\u003e0.96\u003c/sub\u003e(PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003csub\u003e0.04\u003c/sub\u003e at (10\u0026ndash;15 MeV).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFigure (9): The change in the linear attenuation coefficient for (PVA)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e1\u0026minus;x\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e(PbI\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e2\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003ex\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e, \u003cb\u003ewith x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.01, 0.02,0.03, and 0.04 nanocomposite films, with photon energy.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFigure (10)\u003c/b\u003e shows the change in HVL with photon energy. At low energies (0.015\u0026ndash;0.1 MeV), HVL values are very small (e.g., 0.123 cm for x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.04 at 0.015 MeV), indicating that even thin layers of material can attenuate low-energy photons effectively. This is due to the dominance of the photoelectric effect, which is highly efficient at low energy. HVL increases rapidly as energy rises (e.g., x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.04 goes from 0.123 cm at 0.015 MeV to 1.765 cm at 0.1 MeV), reflecting the steep drop in photoelectric absorption. At intermediate Energies (0.1\u0026ndash;2 MeV), HVL increases more gradually because Compton scattering (less energy-dependent) becomes the dominant interaction. At high Energies (\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;2 MeV), HVL values are large (e.g., 27.14 cm for x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.04 at 15 MeV), showing that high-energy photons penetrate deeply. Pair production starts contributing, but its effect is modest compared to Compton scattering [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR42\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e42\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR43\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e43\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor any given energy, HVL decreases with increase the PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e doping, meaning at x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.04 requires the smallest thickness to attenuate the beam by half. This confirms that at x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.04 is the most effective shielding material (likely the highest-Z or densest).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe difference between materials is most pronounced at low energies (where photoelectric effect dominates) and narrows at higher energies (where Compton scattering is less Z-dependent).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFigure (10): The change in the Half-Value Layer for (PVA)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e1\u0026minus;x\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e(PbI\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e2\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003ex\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e, \u003cb\u003ewith x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.01, 0.02,0.03, and 0.04 nanocomposite films, with photon energy.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe change of the mean free path is shown on \u003cb\u003eFigure (11)\u003c/b\u003e. Where at low energies (0.015\u0026ndash;0.1 MeV), MFP is very small (e.g., 0.178 cm for x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.04 at 0.015 MeV), indicating high attenuation due to the photoelectric effect. Photons are easily absorbed, requiring minimal shielding thickness. MFP increases rapidly with energy (e.g., at x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.04: 0.178 cm \u0026rarr; 2.547 cm from 0.015 \u0026rarr; 0.1 MeV), consistent with the ~\u0026thinsp;E\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;3\u003c/sup\u003e dependence of photoelectric absorption. At intermediate energies (0.1\u0026ndash;2 MeV), MFP grows more gradually, reflecting Compton scattering dominance, which has weaker energy dependence. At high energy levels (\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;2 MeV), MFP becomes large (e.g., 39.15 cm for x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.04 at 15 MeV), as pair production dominates but requires significant material thickness for effective shielding. Sample at x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.01 (lowest attenuation): Always has the largest MFP (e.g., 42.16 cm at 15 MeV) while sample at x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.04 (highest attenuation): Consistently the smallest MFP (e.g., 0.178 cm at 0.015 MeV). The gap between x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.01 and x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.04 narrows at higher energies, where Compton scattering reduces the Z-dependence of interactions [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFigure (11): The change in the Mean Free Path for (PVA)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e1\u0026minus;x\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e(PbI\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e2\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003ex\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e, \u003cb\u003ewith x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.01, 0.02, 0.03, and 0.04 nanocomposite films, with photon energy.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe change of effective atomic number (Z\u003csub\u003eeff\u003c/sub\u003e) is shown in Figures. (12). At low energies (0.015\u0026ndash;0.1 MeV), Z\u003csub\u003eeff\u003c/sub\u003e is highest (e.g., 18.69 for S4 at 0.015 MeV) due to the photoelectric effect, which scales strongly with atomic number (~\u0026thinsp;Z⁴\u0026ndash;Z⁵). Sharp decline in Z\u003csub\u003eeff\u003c/sub\u003e as energy increases (e.g., at x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.04 drops from 18.69 to 6.30 at 0.1 MeV), reflecting the reduced dominance of the photoelectric effect. At intermediate energies (0.1\u0026ndash;2 MeV), Z\u003csub\u003eeff\u003c/sub\u003e stabilizes at lower values (e.g., ~\u0026thinsp;3.5\u0026ndash;4.6 for sample at x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.04) as Compton scattering (Z-independent) becomes dominant. At high energies (\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;2 MeV), slight increase in Z\u003csub\u003eeff\u003c/sub\u003e (e.g., at x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.04 rises from 3.55 to 4.31 at 15 MeV) due to pair production, which scales with Z\u0026sup2;.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFigure (12): The change in the effective atomic number for (PVA)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e1\u0026minus;x\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e(PbI\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003e2\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cb\u003e)\u003c/b\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cb\u003ex\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e, \u003cb\u003ewith x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.01, 0.02,0.03, and 0.04 nanocomposite films, with photon energy.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eIn this work, PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e nanoparticles were dispersed in PVA polymer matrix with different concentrations. Several studies were carried out to investigate the effect of PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e doping on the properties of PVA. Surface morphology measurements revealed the increase of the roughness of the surface with the increase of PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e dopants. Structural analysis showed that the strain values and the crystal distortion increased with the increase of PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e concentration. The optical bandgaps of PVA were drastically decreased with the increase of PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e. The direct band gap is found to be approximately equal to 2.87 eV for the composite with 0.01 PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e content and diminish when the PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e content was increased to 0.02 (E\u003csub\u003eg\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026asymp; 2.15). The indirect energy band gap recorded 2.02 eV for PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e content with x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.01 and decreased as the PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e content was increased to 0.02 (E\u003csub\u003eg\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026asymp; 1.48). PVA/PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e's thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) curves at different concentrations of PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e demonstrated high level of thermal stability. The mass attenuation coefficient (MAC), the half-value layer (HVL), the tenth-value layer (TVL), the mean free path (MFP), and the effective atomic number (Z\u003csub\u003eeff)\u003c/sub\u003e values of PVA composites doped with 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4% wt. of PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e were obtained using Phy-X/PSD and XCOM programs. The structural, optical, thermal, and radiation shielding properties of PVA/PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e nanocomposites are suitable as radiation shield materials.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgment:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAcknowledgements The authors extend their appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at the Northern Border University, Arar, KSA, for funding this research work through the project number NBU-FFR-2024-885-12.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eAuthor contribution statement:\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMohammed O. Alziyadi\u003cem\u003e:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003eFunding, Measurements, review the final version\u003cstrong\u003e,\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAmani Alruwaili\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003emeasurements, Software, Validation, Writing - review \u0026amp; editing\u003cstrong\u003e.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMohammed Rashad\u003cem\u003e:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003eFunding resources, Experimental measurements, Software\u003cstrong\u003e, Soraya Mohamed:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eData curation,\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;Writing - original draft, Writing - review \u0026amp; editing\u003c/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;Asma Alkabsh\u003cem\u003e:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003eFunding sources,\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003cem\u003emeasurements, Software\u003cstrong\u003e,\u0026nbsp;Mustafa Shalaby:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eConceptualization, Methodology, Software, Data curation, Project administration, Writing - original draft, Writing - review \u0026amp; editing\u003cstrong\u003e.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eCompliance with ethical standards\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eConflict of interest\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eEthical approval\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot required\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eFunding\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNone\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eData availability\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent to Participate\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent to Publish\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJ. 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Isot. \u003cb\u003e154\u003c/b\u003e, 108882 (2019)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"PVA/PBI nanocomposites, Bandgap engineering, Thermal stability, Gamm radiation attenuation, Radiation Shielding","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7908615/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7908615/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eIn this study, PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e nanoparticles have been doped in polyvinyl alcohol polymer (PVA) with different concentrations to form (PVA)\u003csub\u003e1\u0026minus;x\u003c/sub\u003e(PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003csub\u003ex\u003c/sub\u003e polymer nanocomposite films with x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.01, 0.02,0.03, and 0.04. The synthesized films were then characterized to investigate the effect of PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e embedded nanoparticles on the properties of PVA. The morphology of the surface of the films was analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), while elemental composition was studied by energy dispersive X-ray (EDX). The morphological study of the surfaces of the studied films revealed that the surface roughness increased with the increase of PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e concentration, with the formation of larger crystallites and more visible structural features. The optical direct and indirect band gaps of PVA were found to decrease with the increase in PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e dopants.. Additionally, the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that the high surface interaction linkages between PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e and PVA, which are brought about by hydrogen bonding between the two materials, are responsible for the observed improvement in thermal stability. Furthermore, the Phy-X/PSD and XCOM programs were used to determine gamma-shielding properties at various energy ranges. The results show good agreement between the two programs. Additionally, the values of MAC for (PVA)\u003csub\u003e1\u0026minus;x\u003c/sub\u003e(PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003csub\u003ex\u003c/sub\u003e nanocomposites are increased with increasing PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e contents. HVL decreases with an increase in the PbI\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e doping. This confirms that x\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.04 is the most effective shielding material.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Effect of PbI 2 concentrations on structural, thermal, optical, and radiation shielding properties of PVA/PbI 2 nanocomposites","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-11-11 12:11:45","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7908615/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"14644d2b-666b-460d-bcb3-2f088e00495b","owner":[],"postedDate":"November 11th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-12-22T15:59:55+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-7908615","link":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-025-16401-7","journal":{"identity":"journal-of-materials-science-materials-in-electronics","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics"},"publishedOn":"2025-12-17 15:57:01","publishedOnDateReadable":"December 17th, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-11-11 12:11:45","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1007/s10854-025-16401-7","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-025-16401-7","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7908615","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7908615","identity":"rs-7908615","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}