Evolution of the optical, magnetic and morphological properties of PVA films filled with CuSO4

Polyvinylalcohol (PVA) films filled with different concentrations of CuSO4 were prepared by casting method. The optical, magnetic and morphological properties of these films were intensively investigated in this study. The optical absorption spectra were performed. The assignment of the main absorption peaks was done. The optical parameters such as the absorption coefficient, the electronic band structure, the band tail and the energy gap were estimated. The characteristic features of the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra were discussed. The dependence of the g values, the hyperfine coupling constant, the peak to peak linewidth, the number of paramagnetic centres and the asymmetry ratio on filling were studied. The morphology of the polymeric films demonstrated structural modifications with filling. A correlation between the optical, magnetic and morphological properties was accomplished. Three types of Cu2+ were depicted in this study and were accompanied by three regions of filling, low and high FLs as well as an intermediate one, of interesting physical properties. The studied samples revealed significant changes of the physical properties with filling. This indicated the high sensitivity of these samples to filling and suggested their applicability in magnetic and optical devices. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.