XRD and FTIR studies the effect of heat treatment and doping the transition metal oxide on LiNbO3 and LiNb3O8 nano-crystallite phases in lithium borate glass system.

Glasses of various compositions in the system 90 Li2B4O7-10 Nb2O5 mixed with T.M ions (where T.M is the transition metal) were prepared by quenching technique. Heat-treatment of the parent glasses was performed at 540, 570 and 620 °C, for 5 and 16 h. The glass structure evolution during the controlled crystallization was examined by XRD and FT-IR spectroscopy analysis. The crystalline phases present in the glass ceramics were identified via X-ray diffraction as a function of heat treatment. The FT-IR data propose for these glasses and heat-treated glass network structures mainly built by: di-, tri-, tetra-, penta-and ortho-borate groups. It was found that the quantitative evolution of these various borate species in the glass structures is influenced by the transition metal. A detailed discussion relating to the N4 evolution with the T.M content was made.