A comprehensive study uncovering physical, structural, and optical properties of Cu2O and TiO2-reinforced borosilicate glasses as optical filters

Abstract

In this study, the integration of transition metal oxides (TMOs), specifically Cu<inf>2</inf>O and TiO<inf>2</inf>, into a borosilicate glass matrix (30SiO<inf>2</inf>–35B<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf>–35Na<inf>2</inf>O–5CaF<inf>2</inf>-X (TMO)) was investigated for enhanced glass functionality. Glass samples with varying TMO concentrations (X = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 mol%) were prepared using the melt-quenching technique. X-ray diffraction confirmed the amorphous nature of the synthesized samples, while FTIR analysis showed structural changes, transitioning from trigonal BO<inf>3</inf> to BO<inf>4</inf> tetrahedra, alongside the formation of non-bridging oxygen species due to TMO integration. UV–Vis spectroscopy demonstrated a red shift in optical absorption profiles, correlating with a reduction in the indirect band gap as TMO content increased. Photoluminescence studies showed distinct behaviors, with Cu<inf>2</inf>O suppressing emission peaks and TiO<inf>2</inf> exhibiting intriguing blue and green emissions, diminishing at higher concentrations. It was attributed that Cu<inf>2</inf>O had a larger impact on altering the glass network than TiO<inf>2</inf>. These findings contribute to understanding the properties of Cu<inf>2</inf>O and TiO<inf>2</inf>-containing borosilicate glasses, suggesting tailored optical properties for potential applications as bandpass filter and UV blocker. © 2024 Elsevier B.V.