SPECTROSCOPIC AND ELECTRICAL STUDIES OF SILVER SULFOPHOSPHATE GLASSES

New conducting glasses have been synthesized in the xS:(1 - x)AgPO3 system. X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetric studies have confirmed that these glasses can be formed in the range x = 0.0 to 0.35 sulfur content. The glass transition temperature has been found to increase with increase of sulfur content. The dc conductivity, derived from complex impedance measurements, increases with increasing sulfur content and reaches a value of 1.32 X 10(-6) (OMEGA cm)-1 at room temperature with an activation energy of 0.58 eV in the sample for which x = 0.30. This conductivity is approximately five times higher than that of AgPO3 glass. Various techniques such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy and far-infrared spectroscopy have provided evidence for sulfur participation in the phosphate network by substituting for the oxygen in the non-bridging position. The results demonstrate the formation of [PO4-xSx] species and weaker cation-network interactions. The conduction mechanism is discussed in relation to the structure.