Bridging and Nonbridging Oxygen Atoms in Alkali Aluminosilicate Glasses

Abstract

Thallium‐probe ion luminescence spectroscopy and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to study the structure of sodium aluminosilicate glasses. It was demonstrated that the O1s spectral envelope for these glasses is comprised of three energetically distinct peaks, two attributed to bridging oxygen atoms (Si‐O‐Si and Al‐O‐Si) and one to nonbridging oxygen atoms (Si‐O‐Na). Both techniques indicate that nonbridging oxygen atoms are present in all sodium aluminosilicate glasses, for which A1 /Na is < 1.