Effect of heavy metal oxide and rare-earth incorporation on the structural, physical, and optical properties of lanthanum-doped borate glasses

A novel series of lanthanide incorporated borate glasses, coded as BBNZL, was prepared using the traditional melt-quenching technique to explore the influence of heavy metal oxide and rare-earth incorporation on their structural, physical and optical properties. X-ray diffraction proved that the samples were amorphous, whereas FTIR spectra showed modified metal-oxygen bonds and distinctive vibrations of trigonal BO3 and tetrahedral BO4 borate units, confirming a substantial rearrangement within the glass network and UV-Visible spectroscopy confirmed high optical transparency. As composition varied, the density and molar volume also increased with increasing Bi2O3 and La2O3 contents, indicating the presence of polarizable constituents and high atomic weight leading to the formation of a more compact and mass-dominant network. By incorporating lanthanide ions, stability and structural rigidity of BBNZN glass were increased. These results indicate that the compositional flexibility and structural compactness of these glasses make them potentially promising materials for advanced optical and structural applications.