X-ray irradiation induced optical absorptions in silver and manganese doped soda-lime silicate glass

Abstract

Silver nanoclusters formation was observed in Ag-doped or Ag–Mn-doped soda-lime silicate glasses after X-ray irradiation followed by thermal annealing. Silver nanoclusters were formed with mean-size of about 3 nm after heating at 420 °C for 1 h in Ag-doped glass, and were disappeared after heating at 600 °C for 1 h. Mn³⁺ was formed in Mn-doped glass after X-ray irradiation followed by heating at 400 °C for 1 h, and was reduced to Mn²⁺ upon subsequently heating at 600 °C for 1 h. The presence of Mn³⁺ led to a purple color, while the silver nanoclusters provided a yellow color in the glass. The Ag-doped or Mn-doped glass may be viable as recyclable coloration glasses. In Ag–Mn-doped glass silver nanoclusters were formed only after heating at a high temperature of 600 °C following the irradiation. In addition, manganese showed a similar X-ray-induced behavior in the Mn-doped glass and the Ag–Mn-doped glass. In contrast, silver behaved differently in the Ag-doped glass and the Ag–Mn-doped glass. Unlike those in Ag-doped glass, the silver nanoclusters would not be dissolved in Ag–Mn-doped once they were formed.