Structure of lead germanate glasses by Raman spectroscopy

Lead germanate glasses of the xPbO(1−x)GeO₂ compositions with x ranging from 0.200 to 0.625 have been synthesised and their crystallisation behaviour and vibrational properties studied by differential thermal analysis (DTA) and Raman spectroscopy. Raman spectra of the Pb₅Ge₃O₁₁ ceramics also have been measured and compared to lead germanate glass spectra and literature data on β-PbO. Ge atoms in low lead glasses are supposed to be surrounded by four to six oxygen atoms, while the high-lead glass (x=0.625) corresponding to stoichiometry of the Pb₅Ge₃O₁₁ ferroelectrics contains predominantly fourfold coordinated germanium. Structural resemblence of high-lead germanate glasses to the Pb₅Ge₃O₁₁ crystal is proposed rather than to β-PbO. The `boson' peak range in the spectra of lead germanate glasses is discussed taking into account the similarities of the spectra of glassy and crystalline Pb₅Ge₃O₁₁.