Stability against the aqueous corrosion and nanofilamentation of chalcogenide glass

Abstract

Chalcogenide photonic devices are widely used in the detection of harmful substances in solutions; thus, their stability in aqueous solutions is very critical. In this work, the aqueous corrosion behaviors of commonly used chalcogenide glasses (ChGs) were studied at different temperatures and duration. Optical transmission spectra show that the durability of ChGs is greatly affected by glass composition corrosion, solution temperature, and corrosion time. In addition, Se-based glasses are less stable in aqueous solution and will form nanoparticles of pure Se component on the outer surface of samples, which will contribute to the loss of optical transparency. However, Se-nanostructured materials, such as nanowires, can be obtained by carefully controlling the corrosion process and used for the self-assembly of multi-scale devices. The results show that water is a good solvent for the growth of Se nanowires in the liquid phase. This study provides a new way for the production of Se nanowires.