An investigation of nanometal-glass hybrid nanocomposites produced by ion exchange and annealing process.

Nanometal-glass hybrid nanocomposites are formed by the ion exchange technique of dipping the host matrix glass in the molten salt bath. This study aims to investigate Ag-ion exchanged and annealed soda-lime silicate glasses in terms of their optical and structural properties. The effects of experimental conditions (composition of the salt bath, temperature and time of ion exchange and annealing process, the atmosphere of annealing) on the plasmonic and optical behavior were examined. The produced nanometal-glass hybrid nanocomposites were characterized by UV-Vis-NIR, HRTEM-EDS, SEM, XRD, and AFM to determine nanoparticle size, shape, structure, silver particle growth, and glass surface topography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]