UV-Visible and IR Spectroscopic Studies of Gamma Irradiated Transition Metal Doped Lead Silicate Glasses

Lead silicate (LS) glasses of the basic composition PbO 75%, SiO2 25% together with samples containing (similar to 0.1%) of transition 3d metal oxides (Ti -> Cu) were prepared. UV/VIS optical analysis for as prepared and after successive gamma irradiated samples were used to shed more light on the structural modifications that occur due to different dopants and different irradiation doses. The UV-Vis. spectral analysis for undoped glass shows induced absorption bands at 205-400 nm which are assumed to be correlated with the base host glass and dopant transition metal ion doped glasses and dose of irradiation. The positions of the bands are observed to change slightly by gamma irradiation due to the combined effect of induced defects from the host base glass or the transition metal added. Gamma irradiation is observed to cause a decrease in the intensities of the IR absorption bands of the prepared samples accompanied by losing sharpness. These features are related to more amorphicity or disorder by irradiation or to the possible changes in bond angle or bond length in the building groups arrangement.