ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Microstructural, thermal, and spectroscopic insights into Co@ZnTiO₃/cellulose composites

M. K. Seddeek and A. M. A. Shamekh

Department of Physics, College of Science, Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia

E-mail: 3999@qu.edu.sa

Received: 20 January 2026  Accepted: 4 April 2026

Abstract:

Developing hybrid composite materials with enhanced functionalities is of significant interest for environmental, biomedical, and electronic applications. This study investigates the structural, spectroscopic, and thermal properties of cellulose sheet-zinc titanate (Co@ZnTiO₃) decorated cobalt nanocomposites with variable Co concentrations (0, 2, 3, 4, and 5 mol%). X-ray diffraction analysis reveals phase transformations and crystallinity changes due to Co incorporation, with increasing Co content leading to the formation of secondary CoO₂ phases. Thermogravimetric analysis results showed that the dehydration and dihydroxylation weight loss decreased with increasing Co content, indicating enhanced thermal stability of the composite. Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) is employed to evaluate the dielectric parameters, absorption coefficient, and refractive index, revealing notable changes in the composite structure at different doping levels. THz time-domain spectroscopy revealed a maximum refractive index of 1.42 at 2 mol% Co and a peak real dielectric constant (ε′) of ~ 2.15 at 0.3 THz for the 2 mol% Co sample. These results confirm that Co doping significantly enhances the dielectric, optical, and thermal properties of the composite. These findings highlight the potential of Co@ZnTiO₃/cellulose composites for applications in terahertz functional components, dielectric layers for flexible electronics, electromagnetic shielding, and thermally stable biodegradable substrates. The tunable dielectric response and improved thermal behavior make these composites promising candidates for advanced sensing, packaging, and low-frequency optoelectronic applications.

Keywords: Cellulose; Co@ZnTiO3; X ray diffraction; Scanning electron microscopy; Thermal analysis

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-026-04884-5

Chemical Papers 80 (7) 8233–8247 (2026)