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Bonding and structure of Nd/sup 3 +/ in BeF/sub 2/ glass by XANES and EXAFS spectroscopy

Journal Article · · J. Chem. Phys.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6315152

The L/sub III/, L/sub II/, and L/sub I/ XANES and EXAFS of Nd/sup 3 +/ have been measured using synchrotron radiation from SPEAR at Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory to probe the bonding and structure of Nd/sup 3 +/ in a BeF/sub 2/ glass containing 4 mol % NdF/sub 3/. Crystalline NdF/sub 3/ and Nd/sub 2/O/sub 3/ were used as reference compounds to model the chemical environment of Nd/sup 3 +/ in the glass. It is found that in the glass there is a substantial increase in the intensity of the Nd L/sub III/ and L/sub II/ white lines compared with those of crystalline NdF/sub 3/. EXAFS analysis showed that there is a shrinkage of the innermost Nd--F bond distance and a reduction of nearest neighbor fluorine coordination to approx.7 in the glass compared with nine in pure NdF/sub 3/. The sevenfold coordination is in agreement with recent molecular dynamics calculations. Using Slater's atomic shielding constants, the observed increase in white line intensities in the glass was attributed to a covalency effect due to back donation of valence electron from the ligand to the partially filled 4f orbitals of the Nd/sup 3 +/ ions. This study illustrates ability of the combined XANES and EXAFS technique in elucidating the chemical bonding and local structure of a given atomic constituent in glassy solids.

Research Organization:
General Electric Corporate Research and Development, Schenectady, New York 12301
OSTI ID:
6315152
Journal Information:
J. Chem. Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Chem. Phys.; (United States) Vol. 78:10; ISSN JCPSA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English