Abstract

On the hydrogen bond increasing in polyethylene oxide aqueous solution induced by exposure to electromagnetic fields

Author(s): Emanuele Calabro, Salvatore Magazu

The objective of the present article is to study the behaviour of Polyethylene oxide in aqueous solution exposed separately to a 50 Hz electromagnetic field (EMF) at the intensity of 1mT and to 900MHzmicrowaves at the average magnetic flux density of 16 mA/m. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to investigate the alterations of the vibration bands in PEO induced by exposures to EMFs. The 3000–1000 cm-1 region was investigated, involving the stretching vibrations of ether band, C–H symmetric-antisymmetric and wagging vibrations of methylene groups, and in particular the C–O–C stretching band. A decrease in intensity of symmetric and asymmetric stretching CH2 vibration bands was observed after exposures to 50 Hz EMF and MWs. The C–O–C stretching band around 1080 cm-1 resulted to increase in intensity after exposures. This result can be attributed to the increase of formation of the intermolecular hydrogen bonding occurred in PEO aqueous solution after exposure. In addition, an increase of the methylene wagging vibration at 1349 cm-1 band was observed in exposed sample spectra, that can be related to a decrease of the PEO crystallization process induced by exposure to EMFs, which is in well accordance with the conclusion that hydrogen bond increases in PEO aqueous solution under exposure to EMFs.