Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 J Mater Sci: Mater Electron DOI 10.1007/s10854-017-7000-9 Blue luminescence from hydrothermal ZnO nanorods based PVA nanofbers M. Hamzah 1  · R. M. Ndimba 2  · M. Khenfouch 3  · V. V. Srinivasu 1   Received: 13 March 2017 / Accepted: 19 April 2017 © Springer Science+Business Media New York 2017 1 Introduction The importance of luminescent polymers is universally known. In recent years, these materials have been exten- sively investigated because they exhibit efcient lumines- cence and potentially useful electroluminescent properties. This feld is wide with several applications ranging from medicine to light emitting diodes. With long range p-elec- tron delocalization, they behave as processable organic “metals” in their doped state and as semiconducting mate- rials in their neutral undoped state [1–3]. Polymers can be luminescent due to their own structure; or can be conju- gated polymers like poly [2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethylhexoxy- p-phenylene vinylene)] (MEH-PPV) or their composites based on luminescent nanoparticles via decoration or insertion. On the other hand, metal oxide semiconductor nano- particles have been the subject of focused research recent years owing to their unique electronic, optical, mechanical, magnetic and chemical properties that are signifcantly dif- ferent from those of bulk counterpart [4–8]. Among them, ZnO, a direct wide band gap semiconductor with a 3.37 eV gap and a high exciton binding energy of 60 meV at room temperature, which is promising for optoelectronic appli- cations, including light-emitting diodes, laser diodes, and photodetectors for the ultraviolet (UV) spectral range [9, 10]. The interest in optoelectronic applications arises from the possibility of developing low energy and environmen- tally friendly white light emitting technologies and laser diodes that operate above room temperature [10]. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a unique synthetic biocompat- ible polymer, and it has a large number of hydroxyl groups that can react with many kinds of functional groups [11]. Properties of PVA like the transparency over the whole visible spectrum, good adhesion to hydrophilic surfaces, Abstract It is universally known that many polymers exhibit strong photoluminescence in the UV–Visible and near infrared range. In addition, zinc oxide (ZnO) is well knows as a promising strong luminescent material. In this sense, this work reports on the preparation and characteri- zation of nanofbers based on zinc oxide nanorods embed- ding polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) for blue light emission. The interaction between both compounds was systematically investigated. The absorbance intensities of both PVA and ZnO/PVA composite nanofbers have a maximum absorb- ance located at 279 nm and a shoulder like band around 231 nm. The photoluminescence results show that under an excitation of 360 nm wavelength which is matching with PVA, the emission from ZnO was comparable to the emis- sion of PVA. In addition, under an excitation of 325 nm, a remarkable blue-shift in the emission of ZnO was observed. Hence, this work ofers a reference in ZnO emission con- version in a nanofbrous media. * M. Khenfouch khenfouch@yahoo.fr 1 Unisa Research Chair in Superconductivity Technology, Department of Physics, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, Science Campus, University of South Africa, Cnr Christiaan de Wet & Pioneer Avenue Florida, Johannesburg 1709, South Africa 2 iThemba LABS-National Research Foundation of South Africa, Old Faure Road, PO Box 722, Somerset West 7129, Western Cape Province, South Africa 3 Africa Graphene Center, Physics Department, Eureka Building, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, Science Campus, University of South Africa, Cnr Christiaan de Wet & Pioneer Avenue Florida, Johannesburg 1709, South Africa