First time microwave synthesis of As_(40)Se_(60) chalcogenide glass

摘要

Arsenic sulfide and arsenic selenide glasses, batched from elemental precursors in stoichiometric proportions, are synthesised in ≤ 35 min via microwave heating in a domestic microwave oven (DMO). The DMO products are compared with the stoichiometric glasses made by conventional resistive furnace melting using: X-ray diffraction (XRD); transmission electron microscopy with selected area electron diffraction (TEM-SAED); analytical scanning electron microscopy; optical microscopy; differential thermal analysis (DTA); and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. From XRD and TEM-SAED, only part of the DMO As-S product is amorphous and exhibits up to three DTA glass transitions (T _gs) showing that homogenisation has not taken place. In contrast, As_(40)Se_(60) glass is readily prepared in the DMO and has similar properties to conventionally melted As_(40)Se_(60) glass. Furthermore, the DMO As_(40)Se_(60) glass can be patterned using hot embossing and drawn to fibre.