Depth profiles of Ag nanoparticles in silicate glass

Silver nanoparticle composite glass has been synthesized by ion exchange and a subsequent thermal treatment method. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and ultraviolet-visible spectrometry were used to study the depth profiles of Ag nanoparticles in silicate glass. Results indicate that Ag nanoparticles are nearly spherical in shape with a single-crystalline structure. Also, the volume fraction of Ag nanoparticles is very high in the surface layer of 5 μm, and then decreases slowly across the depth of 30 μm, thereafter the volume fraction reduces quickly to zero at the depth of 100 μm. The plasmon resonance bi-absorptions in the surface layer of the annealed specimen at 600 °C can be attributed to bi-modal distributions of Ag nanoparticles in the layer. The bi-modal distributions can be explained by the Ostwald ripening theory.