Effect of aluminum oxide codoping on copper–lead–germanate glasses

Glasses from xCuO⋅(100-x)[7GeO2⋅3PbO2⋅0.05Al2O3] system where x = 0, 1, 5, 10, 20 and 30 mol% CuO were studied by FT-IR, UV–VIS and ESR spectroscopy in order to obtain information about the structural correlations and the relationship between structure and optical properties in these materials. The analyses of these IR spectra reveal that the accommodation of the network with the excess of oxygen ions is possible by the depolymerization of the germanate network in shorter chains, especially ortho- and/or pyrogermanate structural units.UV–VIS absorption spectrum of the sample with x = 1% CuO begins with a rising absorption band situated at about 250 nm. This band can be assigned to the GeOGe wrong bonds such as the Ge+2 centers. Optical study is performed to calculate the refractive index and optical band gap using UV–VIS spectra in the wavelength range 250–1000 nm. The increase in optical band is explained on the basis of the average bond energy of the system and the number of non-bridging oxygen ions. ESR spectra of CuO substituted samples are characterized by broad peaks probably because of the formation of Cu+2–Ge+2 exchange pairs which are weakly coupled though the oxygen atom.

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► Depolymerization of the germanate network.
► The depolymerization was occurred by turning it into ortho- or/and pyrogermanate network.
► The presence of broad resonance line at g ∼ 2 reveals the formation of Cu+2–Ge+2 exchange pairs.