Simple Method for Alcohol-Mediated Synthesis of Poly(PCDA)/Zn2+/ZnO Nanocomposites with Enhanced Thermochromic and Colorimetric Sensitivity.

This research presents a simple approach for synthesizing poly-(PCDA)/Zn2+/ZnO nanocomposites using the solution-mixing method. The study investigates the influence of alcohol solvents, alcohol ratios, and incubation times on nanocomposite formation. The binary mixtures of water and 10% v/v ethanol and the system of 10% v/v n-propanol yielded nanocomposites with higher absorbances as compared to those reported for the thin-film hydrothermal method. The morphology of the nanocomposite changes from a round shape to sheet-like structures upon increasing the alcohol ratio. Moreover, the critical concentration (C*) of the PCDA monomer for synthesizing poly-(PCDA)/Zn2+/ZnO nanocomposites was determined. The C* values decrease to 0.0001 mM for poly-(PCDA)/Zn2+/ZnO nanocomposites fabricated with 10% v/v ethanol. This value is lower than that of the pure poly-(PCDA) assembly. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of nanocomposite formation and offer valuable insights into optimizing their synthesis. The nanocomposites exhibit reversible thermochromism and colorimetric responses to different stimuli, suggesting their potential as sensors for detecting chemicals in agricultural products, food, and everyday products.