Investigation of Glasses Using Surface Profiling by Spectrochemical Analysis of Sputter-Induced Radiation: II, Field-Driven Formation and Electrochemical Properties of Protonated Glasses Containing Various Proton Concentrations

The ion‐sputtering technique for measuring concentration profiles in glass surfaces provides a method for studying ionic transport in solids. Simultaneous field‐driven lithium ion and proton transfer from solutions into, and migration of these ions within, several lithium silicate glasses was investigated quantitatively. This work leads to the new field of protonated glasses which are distinguished by the availability of all sites to both cationic species. Conductivity and mobilities reported as a function of concentration (50°C) do not exhibit the typical features of the mixed‐alkali effect. Mechanisms are proposed for ionic transfer across solution‐glass interfaces and for migration of ions within protonated glasses. Small proton mobilities at low proton concentrations are explained in terms of specific sites which function as proton traps and are identified by infrared spectroscopy. The condition for stability of boundaries between migrating ions is discussed.