Optical and magnetic properties of Cu/SiO2 composite films prepared via γ-irradiation route

• Main Authors: T.D. AbdelAziz, N.A. Elalaily, F.M. Ezz-Eldin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2015-01-01
• Series: Journal of Radiation Research and Applied Sciences
• Subjects: Cu (NO3)2; SiO2 gel film; γ-Irradiation; Heat-treatment; UV-visible; XRD; EPR
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1687850714001216

In the present radiolytic study, we report the formation of Cu+2 ions in a sol–gel SiO2 thin film via γ-irradiation. The optical and magnetic properties of Cu/SiO2 film are discussed in relation to the mechanism of the formation of Cu+2 ions through irradiation. The color of the treated Cu/SiO2 films swinging from faint green to dark blue as the concentration of Cu(NO3)2 solution was increased from 0.2 to 0.6 and then decreased at 1.2 mol/L. The absorption spectra of the samples revealed many identified broad absorption bands in both, UV (∼190–280 nm) and, in the visible region (∼360–530 and ∼600–740 nm) beside a shallow broad ones in near infrared (∼800–880 nm). Also, there are remarkable increases in the absorption intensities accompanying with red shift for the heat-treated samples soaked in 1.2 mol/L. In order to study the state of Cu2+, and confirm the influence of the matrix, by investigating their EPR and XRD spectroscopy, respectively.