The development of nanosize silver particles in an ion exchanged silicate glass matrix

A silicate glass of chemical composition 20Li₂O, 13CaO, 3Al₂O3, 4B₂O₃, 60SiO₂ (mol%) was subjected to Li⁺ ⇄ Ag⁺ ion-exchange in molten AgNO₃. The ion-exchanged samples were subsequently reduced in a stream of hydrogen to form silver particles in the glass matrix. The dimensions of the silver particles was determined by the reduction treatment. The formation of metal particles in a glass matrix has been investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Ag-3d, O-1s, and Si-2p photoelectron spectra are analyzed to describe the changes in chemical environment around various atoms. Ag-3d binding energy decreases with increasing diameter of the Ag particles. Besides bridging and non-bridging oxygens, a third kind of oxygen has been detected presumably bonded to H atoms. Transmission electron microscopy has been performed to determine the crystallinity of silver particles and to estimate their size.