An X-ray and Neutron Scattering Study of the Structure of Zinc Vanadate Glasses

The short-range order of vitreous V20 5 and of three (Zn0)Jt(V20 5)1_x glasses with x = 0.2, 0.4, and 0.5 is studied by X-ray and neutron diffraction experiments where the change of the contrast allows to resolve the V -0 and Z n -0 correlations. The V -0 and the Z n -0 first-neighbor peaks are approximat­ ed by several Gaussian functions. In case of vitreous V20 5 two obvious V -0 distances exist which are related with V 0 4 and V 0 5 units. With ZnO additions the V -O coordination number decreases from 4.4 in vitreous V20 5 to 4.0 in the metavanadate glass where the strongest decrease of the fraction of V 0 5 units is found for glasses of * < 0.2. Dominantly, the V 0 5 groups are linked with the neighboring units by comers. The Z n-0 coordination numbers of the modified glasses are about five with closest dis­ tances of = 0.200 nm.