Spontaneous crystallization of PbCl2 nanocrystals in GeS2-Sb2S3 based chalcogenide glasses

Novel chalcogenide glasses and glass-ceramics of (100-x)(0.5GeS2–0.5Sb2S3)–xPbCl2 (x = 0, 3, 5, 8, 10, 15, 20, and 25) were prepared by single-step melt-quenching technique, and their transmission spectra and thermo-mechanical properties are characterized. The solubility and spontaneous crystallization behavior of PbCl2 are investigated by employing various techniques of XRD, SEM, and Raman spectra. Two-stage crystal growth was found in these samples with the increase of PbCl2 content (x). The crystallization behavior of oversaturation and recrystallization of PbCl2 in glasses is totally different from the typical nucleation and crystal growth initiated by thermal treatment. Especially, transparent chalcogenide glass-ceramic embedded PbCl2 nanoparticles (~20 nm) was successfully fabricated when x reaches 10 mol%. This study is of guidance significance for future design and elaboration of optically functionalized chalcogenide glass-ceramics. •Novel GeS2–Sb2S3–PbCl2 chalcogenide glasses and glass-ceramics were prepared.•The solubility and spontaneous crystallization behavior of PbCl2 are investigated.•The variation of transmission spectra and thermo-mechanical properties is investigated with the increasing x.•Transparent chalcogenide glass-ceramic embedded PbCl2 nanoparticles (~20 nm) was successfully fabricated.