Synthesis, characterization and ionic conductivity of poly[(oligoethylene oxide) ethoxysilane] and poly[(oligoethylene oxide) ethoxysilane]/(EuCl3)0.67

Poly[(oligoethylene oxide) ethoxysilane)] (I) and poly[(oligoethylene oxide) ethoxysilane)]/(EuCl3)0.67 (II) were synthesized by reacting tetraethoxysilane with oligo(ethylene glycol) of molecular weight 400 and oligo(ethylene glycol)400/(EuCl3)0.317, respectively. The products so obtained are very transparent and rubbery. By Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy studies and by using analytical results it was concluded that these products are crosslinked macromolecular materials where the Si atom is bonded to one OEt group and to three poly(ethylene oxide) 400 chains. Scanning electronic microscopy studies showed that the presence of EuCl3 in polymer host significantly affects the morphology of the material. Laser luminescence investigations on (II) showed that Eu3+ ion in the polymer host is accommodated in two different types of sites having a distorted C2v symmetry. Moreover, the ionic conductivity of these systems was investigated and the data were satisfactorily fitted by the empirical Vogel Tamman Fulcher equation. At 70°C the conductivities of (I) and (II) were 9 × 10−6 and 14.3 × 10−6 Ω−1 cm−1respectively.