Effect of synthesis method on the structure and properties of AgPO3-based glasses

The relation between ionic conductivity, glass transition temperature and structure has been investigated in silver-metaphosphate, AgPO3, glasses synthesized under varying conditions. The key finding of this work concerns the AgPO3 doping with up to 3 mol.% Al2O3 when melting is done in alumina crucibles, a practice used widely for the synthesis of fast ion conducting glasses. Vibrational spectroscopy showed that Al2O3-doping increases the phosphate network connectivity by P–O–Al–O–P cross-links. This effect causes a drastic enhancement in ionic conductivity and glass transition temperature relative to Al2O3-free AgPO3 glasses obtained by melting in Pt crucibles.