Structure-magnetism-radiation shielding correlation in Sm2O3-doped phosphate glass-ceramics

Sm 2 O 3 -doped calcium phosphate glass-ceramics were synthesized via a wet-hydrothermal route followed by controlled heat treatment to investigate their structural, magnetic, and radiation shielding performance. X-ray diffraction revealed a compositional-dependent structural evolution from a predominantly disordered phosphate matrix to a glass-ceramic structure with increasing Sm 2 O 3 content, accompanied by the formation of Sm-containing crystalline phases. FTIR analysis confirmed significant modifications in phosphate network connectivity through changes in the distribution of Q n structural units. Density and packing investigations demonstrated a two-stage structural behavior, involving initial network depolymerization at low Sm 2 O 3 concentrations followed by structural recompaction at higher dopant levels. Magnetic measurements showed a transition from a weak paramagnetic response in the undoped glass to enhanced paramagnetic behavior with increasing Sm 2 O 3 content. Radiation shielding calculations indicated a marked improvement in gamma-ray attenuation performance upon Sm 2 O 3 incorporation, as evidenced by increased mass attenuation coefficients and effective atomic numbers, along with reduced half-value layer and mean free path values. Overall, the results highlight the effectiveness of Sm 2 O 3 incorporation in tailoring the structure and multifunctional performance of phosphate glass-ceramics, supporting their potential as lead-free materials for radiation shielding applications. • Lead-free Sm 2 O 3 -doped phosphate glass-ceramics were synthesized via a wet-hydrothermal route. • A dual-stage structural evolution was identified, involving network depolymerization followed by structural recompaction. • Increasing Sm 2 O 3 content induces enhanced collective magnetic behavior linked to structural reorganization. • Gamma-ray shielding performance improves systematically with Sm 2 O 3 content and structural densification. • The 10 mol% Sm 2 O 3 composition exhibits the lowest HVL, indicating efficient lead-free shielding performance.