Polarization properties of iodine-polyvinyl alcohol polarizers sensitized with graphene oxide

Subject of study. The polarization properties of iodine-polyvinyl alcohol polarizers sensitized with graphene oxide at a concentration of 0.1 wt% are studied. Aim of study. The aim is to obtain iodine-polyvinyl alcohol polarizers with high polarizing power (90%-99%) and transmission of the parallel component of the light (more than 60%) in the visible range of the spectrum. In addition to the indicated spectral and polarizing characteristics, the transverse size of the polarizers should be 8-10 cm, which is suitable for use in various devices. Method. To achieve the required width of iodine-polyvinyl alcohol polarizers, the initial films must be stretched 1.8-2 times relative to the initial length. However, this degree of stretching is not sufficient to obtain the required uniaxial orientation of the polymer chains of iodine-containing polyvinyl alcohol and to create a material with the required spectral and polarizing characteristics. For achieving additional orientation of the polyvinyl alcohol molecules, graphene oxide was used, which made it possible to reduce the mechanical tension while maintaining the transverse dimensions. Main results. Spectral measurements of iodine-polyvinyl alcohol polarizers sensitized with graphene oxide demonstrated an increase in the parallel component of the light by 5%-10%. The polarizing power of polarizers varied from 95% to 99% in the spectral range of 450-800 nm. A feature of this work is the degree of stretching of polyvinyl films sensitized with graphene oxide, which is reduced by a factor of 2. As a result, the size of the obtained iodine-polyvinyl alcohol polarizers in the transverse direction was 8-10 cm. A possible model for the interaction of polymeric molecules of polyvinyl alcohol and graphene oxide is also presented in this paper. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of manufacturing iodine-polyvinyl alcohol polarizers that are 8-10 cm wide for use in modern display technologies while maintaining the main technological process and equipment unchanged. (c) 2023 Optica Publishing Group