Exploring the potential of bismuth-containing silicate borate glasses for optoelectronic devices and radiation protection

Abstract

This study studied novel bismuth silicate borate glasses with different bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) concentrations for their optical and γ-radiation shielding capabilities. The glass samples were characterized using UV–Vis–NIR spectroscopy to determine their optical properties, including the optical absorption spectra, absorption edge, and optical band gaps. The FLUKA algorithm was used to determine the radiation shielding parameters in the energy range of 0.01–15 MeV. The results revealed that the optical absorption edge and intensity were influenced by the Bi2O3 concentration, with the highest absorption observed in the sample with 35 mol% Bi2O3. The direct and indirect optical band gaps decreased with adding Bi2O3 up to 15 mol%, then increased at 25 mol%, and then reduced to the lowest value at 35 mol%. The system's crystallite size grew as the amount of Bi2O3 in the sample increased, as revealed by XRD. With increasing Bi2O3 content, it was discovered that the mass attenuation coefficient (μm) and radiation shielding effectiveness rose. The effective atomic number (Zeff) values increased as Bi2O3 content grew. T0.5 values of the glass samples increased as the energy increased and decreased as the Bi2O3 concentration increased. These findings suggest that prepared glasses with high Bi2O3 concentrations have potential applications in radiation shielding and optoelectronics.