Grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering study of silver nanoparticles in ion-exchanged glasses

The size and distribution of silver nanoparticles in ion-exchanged silicate glass induced by thermal treatments in air at different temperatures were investigated by means of grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering technique, X-ray diffraction and optical absorption spectra. Silver–sodium ion exchange of soda-lime silicate glasses was done at 350 °C for 240 min, then the samples were treated by thermal annealing in air at different temperatures 400, 500 and 550 °C, respectively, for 1 h. After the annealing treatment above 400 °C for 1 h, smaller Ag nanoparticles occurred, together with bigger ones. Both dissolution of smaller Ag nanoparticles and diffusion of larger ones are discussed in these stages of annealing in this contribution.