Structural investigations of some Bi2O3 based glasses

A comparative structural study was made on the glass systems xFe2O3*(100-x)Bi2O3 and xFe2O3*(100-x)[Bi2O3*MO] (where MO = > CdO, As2O3 and GeO2), with 0 < or = x < or = 50 mol%. The samples were prepared and investigated by X-ray diffraction, FT-IR and Raman spectroscopies in order to determine their local structure. From FT-IR spectra it can be observed that, in all studied oxide matrices, the predominant structural units are those characteristic to Bi2O3 and also some structural units characteristic to AS2O3, GeO4 and Fe2O3 were evidenced. The Raman spectra confirm the structure proposed by FTIR. By both, FT-IR and Raman spectroscopies, it can be observed that the controlled dopping with iron ions induce some structural changes in the glass matrices.