Investigation of structure of GeS1.35 glasses with the use of isotopically enriched germanium and Raman scattering spectroscopy

•The samples of GeS1.35 glasses were synthesized with isotopically enriched germanium.•The glasses were investigated by Raman scattering spectroscopy.•The quantum-mechanical calculation of the frequency of vibrational modes was carried out.•Different isotopic compositions of Ge give more reliability to vibration bands identification.

The samples of GeS1.35 glasses were synthesized with germanium and sulfur of natural isotopic composition and with isotopically enriched germanium (72Ge, 74Ge, 76Ge). The glasses were investigated by the method of Raman scattering spectroscopy (RSS). It was shown that GeS4/2 tetrahedrons and structural units containing GeGe homobonds are present in glasses. The quantum-mechanical calculation of the frequency of fundamental vibrational modes in glass network was carried out. Their dependencies on the atomic mass of germanium were used for identification of bands in RS (Raman scattering) spectra.