Investigation on electrical, structural, magnetic, optical properties and EPR studies of CdCu₂O₃ composite oxide prepared via sol-gel method

The present work shows synthesis of 1:2 CdO/CuO (CdCu₂ O₃) composite oxide using sol-gel method via nitrate-citrate route. Reitveld refinement of Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) data reveals presence of two phases: 33.33% of CdO and 66.66% of CuO. Magnetic data recorded using Physical Properties Measurements System (PPMS) shows paramagnetic nature of CdCu₂O₃ at 10, 77, 120 and 320 K. Simulation of the observed electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) lineshape at 77 K exhibiting four perpendicular lines and poorly resolved four parallel lines using axially symmetric spin Hamiltonian parameters reveals: g_∥ = 2.32, A_∥ = 102.6 x 10^-4 cm^-1 , g₁ = 2.12, A₁ = 21.5 9 10^-4 cm^-1 of Cu²⁺ (⁶³CuI = 3/2, 3d⁹ ) ions in octahedral [O_1/2-Cu¹¹O_4/2-O_1/2]^4- coordination having Jahn-Teller distortion by elongation in D 4h symmetry. Analysis of DC electrical conductivity result shows a conductivity value of 1.65 x 10^-9 S/cm which implies weakly semiconducting nature of CdCu₂O₃ composite oxide at 300 K. (author)