Structure of ZnO–Fe2O3–P2O5 glasses probed by Raman and IR spectroscopy

• Structure of three ZnO–Fe2O3–P2O5 glass series was investigated.
• Structure was investigated by Raman and IR spectroscopy.
• Spectral changes with increasing O/P ratio were summarized.
• Band assignments were made according to previously studies and these changes.

The structure of three ZnO–Fe2O3–P2O5 glass series was investigated by Raman and IR spectroscopy. Raman and IR spectral changes with increasing O/P ratio from 2.8 to 3.7 were summarized. Band assignments were carried out according to previous investigations and spectral changes. Spectral changes mainly include relative amplitudes decrease of Raman bands at ~ 1344, ~ 1205 and ~ 705 cm− 1, relative amplitudes increase of Raman bands at ~ 947 and ~ 1080 cm− 1, intensification of the overlaps of IR absorption bands in the region of 900–1400 cm− 1, obvious decrease in relative amplitudes of IR bands at ~ 1351, ~ 1251, ~ 780 and ~ 480 cm− 1 and the shift of the band at ~ 480 cm− 1 to higher wavenumber. These spectral changes have shown a gradual depolymerization of phosphate network and the variation of dominant structural units from Q2 to Q1 species with increasing O/P ratio from 2.8 to 3.7. A small quantity of Q1, Q0 and Q2 species were also detected in our glasses with O/P ratios in the range of 2.8–3.0, 3.0–3.5 and 3.5–3.7, respectively. Our investigations will provide guidance to know the structure of other phosphate glass systems.