Neutron-scattering studies of arsenic sulphide glasses

TL;DR

This study uses neutron scattering to analyze the atomic structure of arsenic sulphide glasses, revealing detailed pair correlations and bonding preferences, including iodine's bonding behavior and arsenic's coordination environment.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the atomic arrangements and bonding in arsenic sulphide glasses through neutron-scattering experiments and isotopic substitution techniques.

Findings

Identified pair correlations contributing to the second peak in the radial distribution function.

Confirmed iodine bonds preferentially to arsenic atoms.

Determined arsenic coordination to one iodine and two sulphur atoms.

Abstract

High-resolution neutron-scattering measurements have been performed on bulk glasses of As2S3 and As2S3I1.65 at a spallation neutron source. For the case of As2S3, an isotopic-substitution experiment involving the S isotope has allowed some of the various pair correlations contributing to the second peak in the radial distribution function to be determined by the method of first differences. For the ternary glass, it has been confirmed that iodine bonds preferentially to As atoms, and that on average each As atom is coordinated to one iodine and two sulphur atoms in the first coordination shell.