EPR and Optical Absorption Study of Cr3+-Doped Dipotassium Tetrachloropalladate

X-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) study of Cr³⁺-doped dipotassium tetrachloropalladate single crystal is done at liquid nitrogen temperature. EPR spectrum shows two sites. The spin-Hamiltonian parameters have been evaluated by employing hyperfine resonance lines observed in EPR spectra for different orientations of crystal in externally applied magnetic field. The values of spin-Hamiltonian and zero-field splitting (ZFS) parameters of Cr³⁺ ion-doped DTP for site I are: g _x  = 2.096 ± 0.002, g _y  = 2.167 ± 0.002, g _z  = 2.220 ± 0.002, D = (89 ± 2) × 10^?4 cm^?1, E = (16 ± 2) × 10^?4 cm^?1. EPR study indicates that Cr³⁺ ion enters the host lattice substitutionally replacing K⁺ ion and local site symmetry reduces to orthorhombic. Optical absorption spectra are recorded at room temperature. From the optical absorption study, the Racah parameters (B = 521 cm^?1, C = 2,861 cm^?1), cubic crystal field splitting parameter (Dq = 1,851 cm^?1) and nephelauxetic parameters (h = 2.06, k = 0.21) are determined. These parameters together with EPR data are used to discuss the nature of bonding in the crystal.