Impact of Barium cationic mixing on Cadmium and Strontium oxalate crystals

Abstract

Barium mixed Cadmium oxalate crystal (BMCO) and Barium mixed Strontium oxalate crystal (BMSO) were grown by single test tube gel technique using polymerized silica gel. Complexes of Cd+2–Ba2+ ions and Sr+2–Ba2+ ions in a controlled nucleation centres of gel media, stimulated the formation of BMCO and BMSO crystals. Resulted crystals are colourless, hard, transparent and exist in diamond like appearance. The grown mixed crystals were characterized using Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopic (EDX) analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectral studies, thermo-gravimetric (TG) studies and Powder x-ray diffraction (P-XRD). Investigation on BMCO crystal identified Cd+2–Ba2+ ions cluster, matrix of coordinated water and crystalline water and good thermal stability with hexagonal crystalline nature. BMSO crystal associated with Sr+2–Ba2+ ions complex, crystalline water, high thermal stability and crystallises in triclinic system. UV-visible spectroscopic studies determined band gap energies, transparency to visible light and insulating behaviour of the mixed crystals. Electrical conductivity measurements of the mixed crystals elucidated linear growth of conductivity with temperature. Both mixed oxalate crystals exhibit high dielectric constant values. Impact of Ba2+ ions diffusion into the lattices of BMCO and BMSO crystals were compared and discussed.