Rare-earth ion (REI) doped transparent oxyfluoride glasses have attracted great attention in recent years owing to their numerous potential applications in optical communications, multicolor displays, laser amplification, saturable absorbers, solar cells, etc. The local structures of glasses have significant effect on the luminescence properties of REI. Although considerable luminescence performances have been reported for these materials, the fundamental local structure information is rarely reported.

Recently, researchers from Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (SIOM, CAS) have reported a thorough structural investigation of fluoroborosilicate glasses by means of multiple solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) techniques. The results were published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry C.

In their experiment, they first used ¹¹B triple-quantum magic angle spinning (TQMAS) and J-coupling based ¹¹B {¹⁹F} heteronuclear multiple quantum coherence (J-HMQC) methods to identify two types of B⁽⁴⁾ species in glass. The F- species were confirmed by ¹⁹F MAS spectra and ¹⁹F {²³Na} rotational echo double resonance (REDOR) method, revealing the existence of Na–F–B and multiple Na–F–Y linkages.

Y³⁺ ions have much stronger competition ability in capturing F- ions than B³⁺. The clustering of F- ions was proved by ¹⁹F static spin echo method. The distribution of Na+ around B⁽³⁾/B⁽⁴⁾ species was detected by ¹¹B {²³Na} REDOR experiment. On the basis of these results, the structure dependence on compositions was investigated.

These results are significant in promoting the understanding of structure dependence on compositions of fluoroborosilicate glasses and the preparation of REI-doped oxyfluoride glasses and glass ceramics with special optical properties.

This work is supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China.

Structural study of rare earth-doped fluoroborosilicate glasses.

Article website:
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.0c00290

Contact:
Mr. CAO Yong
General Administrative Office
Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, CAS
Email: caoyong@siom.ac.cn