Boron Oxide Glasses and Nanocomposites: Synthetic, Structural and Statistical Approach

Three different precursors of boron-aqua and glycerol solutions of boric acid and ethanol solution of trimethyl borate were used for the preparation of organic-inorganic advanced materials. The films and bulk materials samples were heat treated at 100, 400, 800 °C for 2 h. The hybrid samples were stable and transparent until 100 °C. The further increase of temperature to 400 °C led to destruction of samples, and at 800 °C they were molten. The structural changes during the pyrolysis were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential thermal analysis, and X-ray diffraction. Details of surface morphology were observed by scanning electron microscopy. The obtained BO3 and BO4 groups were identified in the molten materials after pyrolysis. The quantities and order of borate structural units as well as residual carbon in the networks depended on boron precursor type. PVA/PEG/B2O3 hybrid materials were proved to be appropriate precursors for synthesizing borate and carboborate glass and carbon/borate glass nanocomposites. To access the impact of the experimental conditions on the structural changes of the nanocomposites, cluster analysis of the IR-spectral data was used as a classification method.