Enhancement of the physicochemical properties of polyurethane-perovskite nanocomposites via addition of nickel titanate nanoparticles

Polyurethane (PU)-perovskite nanocomposite films were developed by in situ addition of nickel titanate nanoparticles (NiTiO3 NPs) into a PU matrix formulation. Among the three samples of NiTiO3 NPs calcinated at 400, 600 and 800 degrees C, the pertinent rhombohedral phase of NiTiO3 has been achieved at 800 degrees C. NiTiO3 is loaded in trace amounts (0.5 wt%) with the PU matrix to cast as films (thickness similar to 1.5 mm), which demonstrate its influence on PU, studied by ATR-IR, Raman, UV-vis DRS, XRD, TGA, DSC, XPS, AFM, SEM, optical microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and impedance spectroscopy. The characteristics of the PU-NiTiO3 nanocomposite films are compared with a control PU film, and these reveal the enhancement in thermal stability (> 10 degrees C), electrical conductivity (8.72 x 10(-5) S cm(-1)) and mechanical strength (19.7 +/- 0.8 MPa) as well as the effect on magnetic and optical properties due to non-covalent interactions upon uniform distribution of NiTiO3 on the PU film.