Effects of Ag addition on properties and structure of Ge–Ga–Se–AgI chalcohalide glasses

•Preparation of chalcohalide glasses with extra Ag incorporated•Dramatically improved AC conductivity with Ag concentration•Effects of Ag on thermal and physical properties

An increasing amount of Ag metal was introduced in two GeSe2–Ga2Se3–AgI chalcohalide glasses with GeSe2/Ga2Se3 molar ratios of 1:1 and 2:1. Up to 25 mol% Ag can be added in this GeSe2–Ga2Se3–AgI glass. The effects of Ag addition on some basic properties such as density, thermal stability, and optical band gap were investigated to have an overall understanding of GeSe2–Ga2Se3–AgI–Ag chalcohalide glasses. The modification of glass networks can be observed by Raman spectra and DSC measurements. Specifically, electrical conductivity was characterized by AC impedance spectra. The activation energy values of conductivity (Eσ) were obtained through Arrhenius linear fitting. The large amount of Ag in the systems led to high conductivity and low Eσ values. In general, several basic properties of the two series of novel glasses with different GeSe2/Ga2Se3 ratios were investigated in parallel and their potential as solid state conductive materials was evaluated.