Peculiarities of the Effect of Silver Chalcogenides on the Glass-Formation Temperature of Chalcogenide Glasses with Ionic Conduction

The glass-formation temperature of chalcogenide glasses with silver-ionic conduction is analyzed as a function of the content of silver chalcogenides. The peculiarities of the changes in the glass-formation temperature for glasses based on silver chalcogenides are explained by the coexistence of covalent bonds silver–chalcogene (Ag–Ch) and metallophilic bonds silver–silver (Ag–Ag). A large number of systems demonstrate the general relationship that allows one to conclude that the connectivity factor of silver in chalcogenide glasses substantially exceeds its formal oxidation state because silver forms metallophilic bonds in addition to covalent bonds. It is assumed that the metallophilic interactions affect not only the glass-formation temperature but also many other important properties of these glasses including the mechanism of silver-ionic conduction.