Structural study of ternary iron-lead-germanate glass ceramics

► Our investigations reveal the presence of α, γ-PbGe4O9, Pb3Fe2Ge4O14 and PbO1.44 crystalline phases in the studied samples. ► The lead ions have a pronounced affinity towards [GeO5] structural units containing non-bridging oxygens and [FeO4] anions producing formation of the Pb3Fe2Ge4O14 crystalline phase. ► UV-vis spectra show that with increasing of Fe2O3 content, network continuity breaks down with the formation of larger numbers of non-bridging oxygens.