Structural, optical, physical and electrical properties of V2O5·SrO·B2O3 glasses

The present work aims to study the structure and variation of optical band gap, density and dc electrical conductivity in vanadium strontium borate glasses. The glass systems xV2O5·(40 − x)SrO·60B2O3 and xV2O5·(60 − x)B2O3·40SrO with x varying from 0 to 20 mol% were prepared by normal melt quench technique. Structural studies were made by recording IR transmission spectra. The fundamental absorption edge for all the glasses was analyzed in terms of the theory proposed by Davis and Mott. The position of absorption edge and hence the value of the optical band gap was found to depend on the semiconducting glass composition. The absorption in these glasses is believed to be associated with indirect transitions. The origin of Urbach energy is associated with the phonon-assisted indirect transitions. The change in both density and molar volume was discussed in terms of the structural modifications that take place in the glass matrix on addition of V2O5. dc conductivity of the glass systems is also reported. The change of conductivity and activation energy with composition indicates that the conduction process varies from ionic to polaronic one.