Role of Nd (III) ions on B2O3–TeO2-GeO2-MgO glass composition for optical and ionizing protection application

Abstract

In this investigation, we reported three glass samples of Nd (III) ions doped boro-tellurite-germanite glasses. The chemical composition of (35-x) B₂O₃–20TeO₂-10GeO₂-35MgO-xNd₂O₃ where x = 2.5, 5, and 7.5, all in mol%, was used to synthesize an optical glass. XRD, FTIR, and optical absorption were utilized to evaluate the structural and optical properties of Nd2.5, Nd5.0, and Nd7.5. X-ray diffraction was measured in the spectra range of 10–80°. Additionally, spectra of FT-IR in the wavenumber range of 400–4000 cm⁻¹ were reported to investigate all structural groups. Several absorption peaks related to the transitions from ground level ⁴I_9/2 to the other excited state were investigated. Various mechanical, optical, and physical properties were calculated theoretically and analyzed to determine the role of the rare earth ions (Nd³⁺). The optical electronegativity (χ) and optical basicity (Λ) results showed a reduction in the strength of the bond and formed an ionic bond in the glass structure due to adding Nd₂O₃. These results align with the reduction in the elastic modulus results by adding Nd₂O₃ instead of B₂O₃. Radiation shielding parameters like HVL, TVL, MFP, and Z_eff were thoroughly reported for all Nd2.5, Nd5.0, and Nd7.5, which showed slight improvement when Nd₂O₃ was added instead of B₂O₃.