Synthesis, structure and properties of silver tellurite glasses**In memory of our beloved teacher, Professor DSc Yanko Dimitriev.

Abstract

The present work is a continuation of our earlier investigations on synthesis of non-traditional tellurite glasses and study of their structure and properties. Several multicomponent glass compositions containing Ag2O (15, 25 mol%) have been selected for investigations. The glasses obtained were homogeneous and colored depending on composition. Some physical characteristics (density, molar volume, oxygen molar volume and oxygen packing density) of the amorphous samples were estimated. By IR spectroscopy was found that the addition of Ag2O, shifts the band 625–620 cm−1 to lower frequencies, due to the creation of Te—NBO bonds, which confirm it’s modifying role. XPS exhibited that the addition of Ag2O leads to the appearance of Te3+ and Te0 valence states and TeO3 structural units additional to the dominant Te4+ amount and TeO4 units, respectively. Formation of small silver clusters, covered by Ag1+ ions was supposed as well. The existing of bridging oxygen bonds, only which build up the amorphous network, were discovered. It was established by UV–vis that the absorption edge of the glasses varies from 350 nm to 450 mm and the addition of Ag2O caused a red shifting of the cut-off. It was also found that the silver plasmon resonance band appeared about 400 nm.