Formation of Au Particles in Cu2-xICu2IIO3-δ (x ≈ 0.20; δ ≈ 0.10) Oxide Matrix by Sol-Gel Growth

Formation of Au particles in nonstoichiometric $Cu_{2-x}{^I}Cu{_2}^{II}O_{3-{\delta}}$ ($x{\approx}0.20$; ${\delta}{\approx}0.10$) oxide from aniline + hydrochloric acid mixtures and chloroauric acid in the ratios 30 : 1; 60 : 1; 90 : 1 (S1-S3) by volume and 0.01 mol of copper acetate, $Cu(OCOCH_3)_2.H_2O$, in each case is performed by sol-gel growth. Powder x-ray diffraction (XRD) results show Au particles are dispersed in tetragonal nonstoichiometric dicopper (I) dicopper (II) oxides, $Cu_{2-x}{^I}Cu{_2}^{II}O_{3-{\delta}}$ ($x{\approx}0.20$; ${\delta}{\approx}0.10$). Average crystallite sizes of Au particles determined using Scherrer equation are found to be in the approximate ranges ${\sim}85-140{\AA}$, ${\sim}85-150{\AA}$ and ${\sim}80-150{\AA}$ in S1-S3, respectively which indicate the formation of Au nano-micro size particles in $Cu_{2-x}{^I}Cu{_2}^{II}O_{3-{\delta}}$ ($x{\approx}0.20$; ${\delta}{\approx}0.10$) oxides. Hysteresis behaviour at 300 K having low loop areas and magnetic susceptibility values ${\sim}5.835{\times}10^{-6}-9.889{\times}10^{-6}emu/gG$ in S1-S3 show weakly ferromagnetic nature of the samples. Broad and isotropic electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) lineshapes of S1-S4 at 300, 77 and 8 K having $g_{iso}$-values ${\sim}2.053{\pm}0.008-2.304{\pm}0.008$ show rapid spin-lattice relaxation process in magnetic $Cu^{2+}$ ($3d^9$) sites as well as delocalized electrons in Au ($6s^1$) nano-micro size particles in the $Cu_{2-x}{^I}Cu{_2}^{II}O_{3-{\delta}}$ ($x{\approx}0.20$; ${\delta}{\approx}0.10$) oxides. Broad and weak UV-Vis diffuse reflectance optical absorption band ~725 nm is assigned to $^2B_{1g}{\rightarrow}^2A_{1g}$ transitions, and the weak band ~470 nm is due to $^2B_{1g}{\rightarrow}^2E_g$ transitions from the ground state $^2B_{1g}$(${\mid}d_{x^2-y^2}$>) of $Cu^{2+}$ ($3d^9$) ions in octahedral coordination having tetragonal distortion.