Novel MoSe$_2$-enhanced polyacrylamide composites with tunable refractive index and band gap energy

Abstract

Hydrogel/inorganic composites have attracted attention in many applications, such as optoelectronic devices, biosensors, catalysis, and energy storage because of their capacity to increase and regulate optical and electronic features. In this study, MoSe$_2$-enhanced polyacrylamide composites were formed using a free radical crosslinking copolymerization process. The UV-vis spectrometer was used to investigate the amount-dependent optical properties of new composites. The absorbance, transmittance, band gap energy, extinction coefficient, and refractive index of composites were investigated in detail. It has been found that as the amount of MoSe$_2$ increases, the band gap energy value decreases, which proves that the material has higher absorption and becomes more conductive. In addition, the optimum amount of MoSe$_2$, which has a very high optical transmittance in the visible region and also has a high conductivity, has been determined. The results reveal that a promising composite has been produced for many solar energy applications, including optoelectronic applications.