Structural and electrical study of ZnCuTiO4, ZnCuSnO4 and ZnCuGeO4 synthesised using metallic copper

Abstract

The structural study of ZnCuTiO4, ZnCuSnO4 and ZnCuGeO4 reveals that while the cooperative J-T effect of Sn4+ is responsible for the orthorhombic symmetry of ZnCuSnO4, the hexagonal influence of Ge4+ is more predominant in ZnCuGeO4. Ti4+ is uninfluential either in initiating the distortive tendency or cooperating with other ions for the same. The XRD, ρRT, ΔE and the nature of the charge carriers, all suggest that the air oxidation of metallic copper leads to the minority concentration of Cu+ along with a majority concentration of Cu2+, as demanded by the stoichiometric considerations of these compositions. © 1990 The Indian Academy of Sciences.