Optical properties study of PMMA/PbO (NPs) composites films Sarah A.Elawam 1 , Wafaa M.Morsi 2 , Hoda M.Abou-Shady 3 , Osiris W.Guirguis 1 * 1 Biophysics Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza (EGYPT) 2 Building Physics Institute, Housing and Building National Research Center (HBRC), Giza, (EGYPT) 3 Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza (EGYPT) E-mail: osiris_wgr@yahoo.com Full Paper Poly(methyl methacrylate); Lead oxide nanoparticles; Optical parameters; Tristimulus values; Color parameters; Refractive index; Optical dispersion. KEYWORDS ABSTRACT In the present work, thin films of poly(methyl methacrylate)/lead oxide nanoparticles composites [PMMA/PbO(NPs)] were prepared using solution-cast method. The effect of PbO NPs with different concentrations in the range from 0.26 to 1.00 wt% on the transmittance spectra in the spectral region 400-700 nm was followed using spectrophotometer tool, CIE tristimulus values and color parameters. The changes in the optical parameters including: absorption coefficient, band tail width and band gap energies, extinction coefficient and color strength as well as refractive index and dispersion parameters were investigated. The data obtained indicated that the optical parameters were highly affected by changing PbO NPs concentration. The dispersion parameters were changed by incorporation of PbO. In conclusion, the obtained optical parameters of PMMA were found to be strongly affected its optical properties by addition of PbO nanoparticles.  2016 Trade Science Inc. - INDIA INTRODUCTION According to the physical and chemical proper- ties and applications in different medical and indus- trial fields, nano-materials were attracted the inter- esting of many investigators [1,2] . On other hand, nano- materials have a long axis to absorb incident sun- light, one-dimensional nanostructures were gained attention in solar energy conversion [3,4] . Lead oxides (PbO) are fascinating compounds because of their four numerous phases: PbO (Æ,  and amorphous), Pb 2 O 3 , Pb 3 O 4 , PbO 2 (Æ,  and amor- phous) [5-7] . PbO has two polymorphic forms: a red Æ-PbO, which is stable at low temperature and a yellow -PbO, which is stable at temperatures higher than 425 o C. PbO has a wide band gap and a high refractive index. A mixture of Æ- and -PbO nano- crystals could be obtained via the calculation of both lead citrate and lead oxalate [8] . Moreover, lead ox- ide nanoparticles [PbO(NPs)] were used in medi- cal, pharmaceutical, nuclear and space industries applications such as; gamma ray protective cloth- ing, shielding, magnetic imagining, batteries, X-ray sensing application and drug delivery as well as they have antibacterial uses [9-13] . PbO nanostructure could be synthesized using various methods [5,14] . The sol gel method shows considerable advantages over the customary methods and provides a low cost, simple, Materials Science MSAIJ, 14(12), 2016 [471-483] An Indian Journal Volume 14 Issue 12 Materials Science ISSN : 0974 - 7486