Enhancement of the electrical performance of poly(vinyl) alcohol by doping with chlorophyll and gamma irradiation

The electrical properties of poly(vinyl) alcohol (PVA) have been improved pronouncedly by doping with chlorophyll (Chl) and gamma irradiation. PVA/Chl films have been prepared and irradiated with γ-rays at dose levels of 10, 20, 30, 50, 70, 100, 150, 200 and 250 kGy. The crystalline and chemical structures of the samples have been studied using XRD and FTIR techniques. Also, the direct current electrical conductivity and the dielectric constant and loss have been determined for the proposed samples before and after gamma exposure. It is clearly shown that the electrical conductivity of PVA films was increased two orders of magnitude due to chlorophyll doping and about fifteen times due to gamma irradiation. Considering the dielectric constant and loss, their values were shown to increase significantly due to PVA doping with chlorophyll. The obtained results can be attributed to the existence of the conducting Mg atom, as well as, the conjugated double bonds in the chlorophyll. Moreover, the gamma irradiation of PVA/Chl, over 50 kGy, improves also this electrical performance. Therefore, the study suggests the possibility of the utilization of the gamma irradiated PVA/Chl films in different electronic applications.