What is it about?

The coordination environment of Nb in phosphate glasses with enhanced non-linear optical properties is a basic but unknown quantity. Here, we address this issue by combining neutron and high-energy x-ray diffraction with Raman scattering to investigate glassy materials along the Nb2O5–NaPO3 tie-line. The work benefits from knowledge about the phosphorus atom speciation obtained from advanced 31P NMR spectroscopic methods. An analytical model is developed to provide a self-consistent account of the measured composition dependence of the atomic speciation. The work shows that Nb acts as a network-forming species.

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Why is it important?

The structural model accounts for the measured composition dependence of the glass transition temperature, the non-linear optical properties of the glass and its dissolution rate, thereby offering insight into designing phosphate glasses with the desired material properties.

Perspectives

The work marks the culmination of a project to unravel the structural complexity of glasses in which six-coordinated Nb atoms act as network forming species. It illustrates beautifully the synergistic benefits of applying complementary techniques to address the structure of disordered materials.

Professor Philip S Salmon
University of Bath

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This page is a summary of: Transition from a phosphate to niobate network structure in vitreous Nb2O5–NaPO3, The Journal of Chemical Physics, October 2025, American Institute of Physics,
DOI: 10.1063/5.0290349.
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