Studies of local structures for Cu²⁺ centers in M₂Zn(SO₄)₂·6H₂O (M = NH₄ and Rb) crystals

Abstract

The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) parameters (g factor g i , and hyperfine structure constants A i , with i = x, y, z) and local structures for Cu2+ centers in M2Zn(SO4)2·6H2O (M = NH4 and Rb) are theoretically investigated using the high order perturbation formulas of these EPR parameters for a 3d 9 ion under orthorhombically elongated octahedra. In the calculations, contribution to these EPR parameters due to the admixture of d-orbitals in the ground state wave function of the Cu2+ ion are taken into account based on the cluster approach, and the required crystal-field parameters are estimated from the superposition model which enables correlation of the crystal-field parameters and hence the studied EPR parameters with the local structures of the Cu2+ centers. Based on the calculations, the Cu–H2O bonds are found to suffer the axial elongation ratio δ of about 3 and 2.9% along the z-axis, meanwhile, the planar bond lengths may experience variation ratio τ (≈3.8 and 1%) along x- and y-axis for Cu2+ center in (NH4)2Zn(SO4)2·6H2O and Rb2Zn(SO4)2·6H2O, respectively. The theoretical results show good agreement with the observed values.