Thermal degradation of polystyrene/ZnO (PS/ZnO) nanocomposites was investigated in this study. PS/ZnO polymer nanocomposites were prepared by using ZnO nanorods as nanofillers that were prepared via the sol-gel route. The as-prepared ZnO nanoparticles showed nanocrystallites in rod-like shapes with a non-uniform hexagonal cross-section and diameter varying from 40 to 75 nm. PS/ZnO nanocomposites with ZnO nanoparticles content ranging from 0–3 wt% are prepared via the common casting method. Even dispersion for ZnO nanoparticles within as-prepared PS/ZnO nanocomposites was verified through SEM/EDX measurements. Thermal degradation of the samples was checked by using the thermogravimetric (TG) analysis and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) under non-isothermal conditions and a constant heating rate of 10 °C min. The thermal stability of the nanocomposite is elevated compared to that of pristine PS due to the addition of the ZnO nanoparticles. The homogeneity of the PS/ZnO nanocomposites is verified by systematic increases in thermal degradation with increasing ZnO content. The characterization degradation temperatures at different weight loss percentages of ZnO nanoparticles increase at high ZnO wt%. Static activation energy of decomposing is based on TGA data. Activation energies showed some enhancement after the addition of ZnO nanorods into the PS matrix. Enhancing the thermal stability of PS with ZnO addition within the investigated ZnO concentration range is verified by TG, DSC results.

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) based nanocomposite with different weight ratios of Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles is prepared by using a gel-like technique. The weight-ratio of ZnO nanoparticles, in a range of 2.5–10 wt%, is used to prepare nanocomposites' in the tetrahydrofuran (THF) solvent. The as-prepared samples are exposed to gamma (γ) radiation at different doses in a range of 5–40 kGy. The mechanical properties of irradiated samples are compared to that of unirradiated samples. For unirradiated samples, the elasticity is found to increase with the addition of ZnO nanoparticles. However, the plastic region of the stress-strain curve gets slightly affected on increasing the concentration of ZnO. Additionally, the elastic modulus is noticed to drop exponentially with ZnO concentration. For pure PVC, a slight dependence of stress-strain curves on the gamma irradiation doses has also been detected. Further, the gamma irradiation dose results in a detectable decrease of elastic modulus for pure and low weight-ratio ZnO nanoparticles. However, the irradiation dose does not have any effect on the elastic modulus for the 10 wt %, which is the highest weight ratio used in this study

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable polymer and is mainly used in the textile and food packaging fields. The aim of this work is to build knowledge on the kinetics of the pyrolysis of PLA with the help of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) using four model-free methods, namely Friedman, Flynn–Wall–Qzawa (FWO), Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose (KAS), and Starink. Additionally, two model-fitting methods (the Coats–Redfern and Criado methods) were applied. TGA data at 5, 10, 20, and 30 K/min heating rates were collected. The obtained activation energies of the pyrolysis of PLA at different conversions by the model-free models were in good agreement and the average values were 97, 109, 104, and 104 kJ/mol for Friedman, FWO, KAS, and Starink, respectively. The Criado model was used together with the Coats–Redfern model to identify the most appropriate reaction mechanism. As per this work, the best controlling reaction mechanism of the PLA pyrolysis can be expressed by the geometrical contraction model (R2).

A simple single pot sol–gel method is used to prepare ZnNiO nanoparticles at assorted Ni doping levels, 1, 3, 7 and 10 wt.%. Structural and optical properties of nanoparticles are studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–visible diffuse reflection spectroscopy (DRS), photoluminescence (PL) measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), μ-Raman and X-ray photoelectron-spectroscopy (XPS). A single substitutional solid solution phase is detected in the wurtzite ZnNiO nanoparticles at various doping levels. XRD peak splitting and shifting is ascribed to reduced wurtzite character and presence of crystalline strain in nanoparticles at higher level of Ni doping. The Kubelka-Munk function of DRS data reveals the presence of the Burstein-Moss effect in the optical absorption of ZnNiO nanoparticles. Photoluminescence studies show intense UV-blue emission from ZnNiO nanoparticles. The UV PL also exhibits the Burstein-Moss blue shift in the ZnNiO luminescence. Raman analyses also confirms the wurtzite structure of ZnNiO nanoparticles; however, crystal structural defects and bond stiffness increase with Ni doping. The optical and structural studies presented in this work are pointing towards a multivalent Ni substitution in the nanoparticles.

We demonstrate an electron-transporting water-gated thin film transistor, using thermally converted precursor-route zinc-oxide (ZnO) intrinsic semiconductors with hexamethyldisilazene (HMDS) hydrophobic surface modification. Water gated HMDS-ZnO thin film transistors (TFT) display low threshold and high electron mobility. ZnO films constitute an attractive alternative to organic semiconductors for TFT transducers in sensor applications for waterborne analytes. Despite the use of an electrolyte as gate medium, the gate geometry (shape of gate electrode and distance between gate electrode and TFT channel) is relevant for optimum performance of water-gated TFTs.