Microstructure and optical absorption of silver granules in oxide glasses produced by ion-exchange and reduction treatments

An electron micrographic investigation has been carried out on two oxide glasses containing alkali ions and subjected to a sodiumsilver ion-exchange followed by reduction treatments at various temperatures. The presence of metallic silver in the silver-rich droplet phases has been confirmed by selected-area electron diffraction. The silver-rich phases are found to have diameters ranging from 3 to 50 nm. The nucleus density of these particles is found to have a maximum value at temperatures in the range 250 to 300° C. The optical absorption spectra of the reduced glasses show a maximum around a wavelength of 400 nm. Maxwell-Garnett theory has been used to calculate the optical absorption and the predicted wavelength for maximum absorption is in reasonable agreement with the experimental value.