Formation of silver colloids in silver ion-exchanged soda-lime glasses during annealing

The structural and compositional changes of the soda-lime glasses during the formation of the silver colloids were analyzed by the X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) in order to examine the silver colloid formation mechanism. The in situ behavior of silver and SiO2 networks on the surfaces of silver ion-exchanged soda-lime glasses during heating and cooling processes in ultra-high vaccum was monitored. The results showed that silver diffuses toward the surface, precipitates, and crystallizes during heating and the total silver surface concentration is slowly increased during cooling. The concentration changes of oxidized and neutral Ag, a new non-bridging oxygen species (NBO*), and a new silicon species (Si[a]) were applied to deduce a disappropriation reaction mechanism of Ag+ on the surface during annealing. The SiO2 network is modified at temperatures below 350°C to accommodate more silver on the surface and to balance the extra charge carried by the Ag+. That the SiO2 network polymerizes during annealing was deduced from the results of the higher binding energies of Si2p and O1s after annealing. This observation suggests that the reduction of the Gibbs free energies and the relaxation of tensile stress result in the formation of the silver colloids under thermal annealing.