Silver/polyvinyl alcohol (Ag/PVA) nanocomposite films were synthesized via solution casting with varying concentrations of Ag nanoparticles (1–5 wt%). A comprehensive investigation was conducted to understand the influence of Ag content on the structural, optical, mechanical, thermal, electrical, and antibacterial properties of the composites. UV-Vis spectroscopy revealed a red shift in absorption peaks and a reduction in the optical band gap, which decreased from 3.78 eV for pure PVA to 3.37 eV for the 5 wt% Ag composite. FTIR and SEM analyses confirmed successful nanoparticle incorporation and morphological changes. The nanocomposites exhibited enhanced tensile strength, elongation at break, Young’s modulus, and hardness due to strong interfacial interactions. The addition of Ag also increased hydrophobicity and imparted effective antibacterial activity. The electrical and thermal properties showed significant improvement: AC conductivity increased from 5.8 × 10⁻⁹ to 1.01 × 10⁻⁴ S/cm with Ag content, while the dielectric constant decreased. A high DC conductivity of 1.5 × 10⁵ S/cm was achieved with only 3 wt% Ag. Thermal conductivity also rose from 0.27 W/m·K for pure PVA to 0.92 W/m·K for the 5 wt% composite. These results demonstrate that Ag/PVA nanocomposites are promising multifunctional materials for flexible electronics, combining tunable optoelectronic properties with enhanced mechanical, thermal, and antibacterial performance.

Nanocomposite films of silver-polyvinyl alcohol (Ag/PVA) with varying silver nanoparticle concentrations (1-5 wt%) were synthesized via a solution casting technique. The films were characterized by understanding the influence of Ag content on their structural, optical, mechanical, and electrical properties. UV-Vis spectroscopy (300-800 nm) revealed a red shift in absorption peaks and a significant decrease in the optical band gap from 5.39 eV to 1.06 eV with increasing Ag concentration, indicating the formation of additional energy states within the PVA matrix. FTIR and SEM analyses confirmed the successful incorporation of nanoparticles and revealed changes in surface functionalities and morphology. Mechanically, the nanocomposites exhibited enhanced tensile strength, elongation at break, Young’s modulus, and hardness, attributed to a strong interfacial network between the Ag nanoparticles and the PVA chains. The incorporation of Ag also imparted antibacterial properties and increased hydrophobicity. Electrically, the material showed a dramatic improvement in conductivity, achieving a value of 1.5×10⁵ S/cm with just 3 wt% Ag. Furthermore, AC conductivity increased with frequency and Ag content (from 5.8×10⁻⁹ to 1.01×10⁻⁴ S/cm), while the dielectric constant decreased from 0.95 to 0.25 at 1000 kHz, confirming the role of Ag in facilitating charge transport. These findings demonstrate the great potential of Ag/PVA nanocomposites for use in flexible electronics.