ISSN: 2347-3487 571 | Page May 03, 2014 PREPARATION, DIELECTRIC AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF Cr 2 O 3 /PVC NANOCOMPOSITE FILMS A. Hassen a,b* , S. El-Sayed a,b , W.M. Morsi c , A.M. El Sayed b,e a Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Education, Al Khurma Branch, Taif University, Saudi Arabia. b Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Fayoum University, Fayoum 63514, Egypt *Corresponding author: ash02@fayoum.edu.eg a Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Education, Al Khurma Branch, Taif University, Saudi Arabia. b Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Fayoum University, Fayoum 63514, Egypt somyia.elsayed@yahoo.com c Building Physics Institute, Housing and Building National Research Center, HBRC, Dokki, Giza 11511, Egypt dr.wafaam@yahoo.com b Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Fayoum University, Fayoum 63514, Egypt e Physics department, Faculty of Science, Northern Borders University, Arar 91431, KSA ams06@fayoum.edu.eg ABSTRACT Chromium oxide (Cr2O3) nanoparticles were synthesized using a sol-gel method and mixed with polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Rietveld refinement of X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) patterns of the samples revealed that the crystal structure of Cr2O3 is rhombohedral with space symmetry group . Scanning electron microscopy images showed that the Cr 2O3 nanoparticles are well dispersed on the surface of the PVC films. The dielectric permittivity ('), and ac conductivity (ζac) of pure PVC increased with adding Cr2O3 due to the formation of conductive three-dimensional networks throughout the nanocomposite films and interfacial polarizations. The optical energy band gap ( Eg) of the films decreases with increasing Cr2O3 content. The refractive index dispersion of the nanocomposite films obeys the single oscillator model. The dispersion parameters are changed by incorporation of Cr 2O3. The optical properties of PVC are influenced by addition of Cr2O3 nanoparticles. Keywords: Cr2O3 nanoparticles; polymer nanocomposites; dielectric properties; refractive index; optical dispersion. Council for Innovative Research Peer Review Research Publishing System Journal: Journal of Advances in Physics Vol 4, No.3 japeditor@gmail.com www.cirjap.com