Effect of crystalline phase on the nanoparticle growth in glass-ceramics

Abstract

Nanometer-sized silver particles with diameters in the range 4.3 to 11.5 nm have been grown within a glass-ceramic containing BaTiO₃ by just subjecting the former to an alkali/silver ion exchange reaction. A reduction treatment in hydrogen is, however, shown to be necessary for such growth in glass-ceramics having crystalline phases such as BaTiSiO₅, Zn₂SiO₄, and Li₄P₂O₇, respectively. The possible presence of Ti³⁺ ions in the BaTiO₃ phase is believed to cause such a difference in the reduction behavior of these composites.