Impact of magnesium on the structure of aluminoborosilicate glasses: A solid-state NMR and Raman spectroscopy study

Seven magnesium-containing aluminoborosilicate glasses, with three to five oxides, have been studied through comprehensive multinuclear solid-state NMR (B-11, Al-27, Si-29, Na-23, O-17, and Mg-25) and Raman spectroscopy. The progressive addition of cations and the substitution of sodium and calcium by magnesium illuminate the impact of magnesium on the glass structure. The proportion of tri-coordinated boron drastically increased with magnesium addition, demonstrating the poor charge-compensating capabilities of magnesium in tetrahedral boron units. Oxygen-17 NMR showed the formation of mixing sites containing both Na and Mg near nonbridging oxygen sites. Furthermore, a high magnesium content appears to result in the formation of two subnetworks (boron and silicon rich) with different polymerization degrees as well as to promote the formation of high-coordination aluminum sites (Al[V] and Al[VI]). Finally, magnesium coordination ranging from 4 to 6, with a mean value shifting from 5 to 6 along the series, suggests that magnesium might endorse an intermediate role in these glasses.

Automated summary

The study examined the structural changes of magnesium-containing aluminoborosilicate glasses, showing that the addition of magnesium increased the proportion of tri-coordinated boron, leading to the formation of different polymerization subnetworks and promoting the formation of high-coordination aluminum sites. Magnesium may play an intermediate role in these glasses.