Unique thermal properties of polyvinyl alcohol embedded with reduced graphene oxide-copper nanoparticles composite

In this study, a copper/reduced graphene oxide (Cu/RGO) nanocomposite was prepared using plum extract as a reducing agent from graphene oxide (GO) and Cu(NO ₃ ) ₂ .3H ₂ O precursors. The Cu/RGO nanocomposite was then incorporated into the PVA polymer network as a reinforcement, resulting in the preparation of PVA/Cu@RGO polymer nanocomposite. Subsequently, the nanocomposites were characterized using conventional methods such as FT-IR, XRD, FE-SEM, EDS, UV-Vis, and Raman spectroscopies. The thermal properties of the nanocomposites were examined through DSC and TGA-DTA analyses. The results demonstrated that the addition of reinforcements (Cu NPs and RGO) to PVA fibers enhances the thermal stability and glass transition temperature of the polymer nanocomposite. Moreover, the incorporation of RGO into the PVA/Cu polymer matrix significantly improves its mechanical properties, including tensile strength and Young's modulus.