Structural investigations of silicate–phosphate glasses containing MoO3 by FTIR, Raman and 31P MAS NMR spectroscopies

• Glasses from the SiO2P2O5K2OCaOMgOMoO3 system were prepared and analysed.
• Glasses were characterised by spectroscopic methods.
• The introduction of MoO3 into the glass structure results in framework depolymerisation.

Molybdenum is a transition metal (refers to the “d” block of the periodic table) whose atom has an incomplete d sub-shell. It is known that in silicate glasses molybdenum may exist under four oxidation states: Mo6+, Mo5+, Mo4+ and Mo3+, simultaneously molybdenum cations, depending on their content in the glass network, may either be a glass forming component, or act as a modifier. The contemporary literature data show studies conducted mostly on the structure of silicate, phosphate, borate and borosilicate glasses containing molybdenum ions, but not silicate–phosphate glasses. Therefore, the author has undertaken detailed studies using FTIR, Raman and 31P MAS NMR techniques in order to examine the effect of MoO3 addition into the structure of silicate–phosphate glasses from SiO2P2O5K2OCaOMgO system. On the basis of obtained results it was concluded that molybdenum ions in the analysed glasses act as a modifier, which follows from the gradual breakage of oxygen bridges, i.e. POP, SiOSi, and SiOP, and the following formation of connections such as Mo[MoO4]OSi and/or Mo[MoO4]OP. In summary, it is concluded that the increase of MoO3 content (up to 4.4 mol.%) in the structure of glasses of SiO2P2O5K2OMgOCaO system results in weakening of the structure and gradual increase of the degree of silico-oxygen and phosphor-oxygen frameworks depolymerisation.

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