Study of silicate glasses with PbS nanoparticles using small-angle neutron scattering

The structural aspects of PbS-nanoparticle formation in silicate glasses under different conditions of heat treatment are studied using small-angle neutron scattering. It is established that spherical nanoparticles with radii of 3.0 to 3.9 nm form in such glasses. As the duration of sample annealing increases, growth of the mean nanoparticle size is observed and their fractal dimensions change. The structural mechanisms for PbS-nanoparticle formation in a glass matrix are discussed in the case of two-stage temperature treatment.