EUROPIUM ION INFLUENCE ON THE FORMATION OF Ag-NANOPARTICLES IN FLUORINE PHOSPHATE GLASSES

The paper deals with research of formation characteristics of silver nanoparticles in fluorophosphate glasses 0.25 Na2O - 0.5 P2O5 - 0.10 Ga2O3 - 0.075 AlF3 - 0.025 NaF - 0.05 ZnF2 doped with EuF3 (0.8 and 4 wt.%) and without them. The synthesis was carried out in closed glassy carbon crucibles in argon atmosphere. Nanoparticles were formed after a low temperature process of Ag+ → Na+ ion-exchange (320 °C) and subsequent heat treatment. It was shown that in the initial glasses doped with EuF3, rare earth ions exist in two valence forms (Eu2+ and Eu3+) in dynamic equilibrium and the concentration of Eu2+ increases proportionally to the total concentration of fluoride. It was shown that sizes of molecular clusters or metal nanoparticles depend on the concentration of europium fluoride and duration of ion exchange. The metallic Ag-nanoparticles sizes were defined for different times of heat treatment and ion exchange. The possibility of the stimulating growth of nanoparticles through the introduction of additional EuF3 in the glass was proved. The possibility of obtaining nanoparticles without the heat treatment in glasses with a high concentration of EuF3 was shown. Chemical mechanism for the formation of Ag-nanoparticles during the ion exchange was suggested.

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