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Journal of Physical Studies 27(4), Article 4701 [6 pages] (2023)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.30970/jps.27.4701 RADIOCHROMIC EFFECT IN THE POLYMER COMPOSITES BASED ON [NH2(C2H5)2]2CuCl4 MICROCRYSTALS
Yu. Chornii
Faculty of Physics, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv,
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The radiochromic effect was detected in the thermochromic [NH$_2$(C$_2$H$_5$)$_2$]$_2$CuCl$_4$ (DEA-CuCl$_4$) microcrystals incorporated into a polystyrene matrix. It has been found that this composite possesses thermochromic properties very similar to those of a bulk crystal, although its thermochromic phase transition was shifted toward higher temperatures due to tensions arising within the interface between the polystyrene matrix and the microcrystal. The similar doses of ionizing radiation cause much more pronounced changes in the thermochromic properties of the microcomposite in comparison with a bulk crystal. The main impact consists in the considerable shift of the phases transition temperature derived from the $D(T)$ hysteresis loops toward lower values. The observed changes should be considered a radiochromic effect, which is explained by breaking the chemical bonds between the polystyrene matrix and the microcrystals with a following relaxation of the surface strains. The transformation of the first order phase transition into the second order one under the influence of irradiation is also discussed.
Key words: microcomposites, ionizing radiation, phase transitions, absorption spectra, thermochromic effect.
