INFLUENCE OF CeO2 ON THE FORMATION OF PLASMONIC Au NANOPARTICLES IN GLASSES OF THE ZnO–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2 SYSTEM

Using absorption spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and X-ray powder diffraction, we studied the effect of a small addition of CeO2 on the process of thermally stimulated formation of plasmonic Au nanoparticles in the glass of the ZnO–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2 system containing TiO2 and ZrO2 as nucleating agents. It is shown that when the glass is heated from temperatures slightly above Tg to temperatures in the region of the exothermic peak, the plasmon resonance band of Au nanoparticles undergoes a nonlinear shift; however, the addition of CeO2 significantly expands the the shift to the long wavelength region of the spectrum. We performed the computer simulation of the experimental optical absorption spectra, estimated the sizes of the formed nanoparticles and proposed the mechanism of the effect of the CeO2 addition on the formation of plasmonic Au nanoparticles.