Structural, optical, and shielding characteristics of CuO diborate glasses containing lithium fluoride or lithium oxide

Abstract

A glass system of the basic composition xLiF-(25-x) Li2O-74.8B2O3 containing 0.2 CuO mol% dopant (x = 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25) was successfully prepared via the traditional melt quenching method. The sample was coded as 0LiF, 5LiF. 10LiF, 15LiF, 20LiF, 25LiF respectively. Combined optical, and Fourier transform infrared spectral measurements together with radiation shielding parameters were carried out. The amorphous nature of the present glasses was confirmed by utilizing X-ray diffraction patterns. UV/Visible electronic spectra of the studied sample disclose a strong UV absorption glass network. Copper-doped glasses display greenish-blue colors in combination with very broad visible bands pointing to a different overlapping peak. This extended characteristic band is related to absorption due to divalent copper (Cu2+) ions in distorted octahedral coordination. The FTIR data of the CuO-doped glasses reveal extended vibrational modes due to the presence of both triangular and tetrahedral borate glasses in their varying distinct wavenumbers. The Phys-PSD software has been used to compute shielding parameters including mass attenuation coefficient, tenth value layer, effective atomic number, mean free path, and build-up factors in the energy range of 0.015 to 15 MeV. Based on the obtained results, the investigated glasses have good features that make them very suitable for optical and shielding applications. Studied samples proposed to be used in optical devices as LiF appears to control optical parameters.