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Dielectric and electric properties of synthetic melanin: the effect of europium ions

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Abstract

Detailed studies on dielectric and electric properties of synthetic pirocatechol and indolederived melanin, pure and doped with Eu3+, have been performed, D.C. and a.c. electrical conductivity as well as dielectric permittivity and loss angle tg have been investigated. Activation energy of d.c. conductivity for the investigated temperature range (0°C<T<50°C equals 0.63 eV for pirocatechol and 0.62 eV for indolemelanin. Europium ions Eu3+ doped to the samples do not influence the values of activation energy, but the addition of Eu3+ ions decreases the conductivity values. On the basis of depolarization current curves the energy of trap level referred to Eu3+ has been calculated. It equals 0.58 eV for pirocatechol and 0.60 eV for indolemelanin.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Physics and Computer Science, Pedagogical University, Podchorazych 2, Kraków, Poland

    Władyslaw Osak & Katarzyna Tkacz-Śmiech

  2. Institute of Chemistry, A. Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland

    Marian Elbanowski

  3. Technical University, Poznań, Poland

    Janusz Sławiński

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  1. Władyslaw Osak
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  2. Katarzyna Tkacz-Śmiech
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  3. Marian Elbanowski
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  4. Janusz Sławiński
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Osak, W., Tkacz-Śmiech, K., Elbanowski, M. et al. Dielectric and electric properties of synthetic melanin: the effect of europium ions. J Biol Phys 21, 51–65 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00701009

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00701009

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