Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics (2020) 31:9099–9113 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-020-03440-5 FTIR, UV–Vis–NIR spectroscopy, and gamma rays shielding competence of novel ZnO‑doped vanadium borophosphate glasses Y. S. Rammah 1  · F. I. El‑Agawany 1  · K. A. Mahmoud 2,3  · R. El‑Mallawany 1  · Erkan Ilik 4  · Gokhan Kilic 4 Received: 26 March 2020 / Accepted: 17 April 2020 / Published online: 23 April 2020 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020 Abstract Structural, optical, and gamma radiation safety properties of 46V 2 O 5 ·46P 2 O 5 ·(8–x)B 2 O 3 ·xZnO (x = 0,2,4,6, and 8 mol%) abbreviated as VPB/Zn glasses were investigated. The structure of the synthesized glasses has been examined via FTIR spectra within the range of 400–1500 cm −1 at room temperature. UV–Vis–NIR measurements of the proposed glasses were performed within the range of 200–3300 nm. The optical characteristics such as optical energy bandgap ( E Optical ), refractive index (n Linear ), and Urbach’s energy (E U ) have been determined. In addition, the mass attenuation coefcients (MAC) for VPB/Zn glasses were performed utilizing MCNP-5 simulation code and XCOM program for various gamma ray energy varied in range 0.015–15 MeV. Based on MAC values, the equivalent atomic number (Z eq ) and buildup factors (EABF and EBF) were evaluated. Results reveal that the direct E Tauc  s Optical of the VPB/Zn glasses ranged from 0.688 to 0.710 eV, while from 0.560 to 0.647 eV for the indirect transition. The admission of the ZnO improves the MAC of the VPB/Zn glasses. Thus, one can conclude that the proposed glasses can be applied for optical devices as semiconductor glasses and considered as good materials for γ-rays shielding. 1 Introduction Today, all over the world, modern technology in several areas depends on utilizing the glass materials as latent can- didates for diferent applications such as laser medium, elec- trical memory, fber optics, optoelectronic materials, optical switching instruments, and in-space technology [1–6]. In addition, glasses can be applied in a wide range in the medi- cal feld such as in CT scans, X-ray screens, and doors and windows in medical diagnostic labs, security X-ray screens in vital institutions. Therefore, recently, glasses became more attractive materials to be used as alternative for the conventional radiation (γ-rays, X-rays, and neutrons) shield- ing materials such as alloys, clay, rocks, bricks, concretes, and polymer materials [7–18]. All the aforementioned application for glasses are due to their exciting chemical and physical characteristics [1–3]. In last decades and still to now, a lot of scientists and engineers pay more eforts to develop and synthesize new glasses via diferent means and try to improve their optical, thermal, electrical, mechanical, magnetic, and nuclear safety properties [1–6, 15–23]. Borate (B 2 O 3 )- and phosphate (P 2 O 5 )-based glasses are the most motivating and exciting optical glasses due to their sole and superior properties such as low cost, low melting points, high thermal expansion, high strength, high durabil- ity, and high UV transmittance [24–26]. However, borate glasses are commonly used to produce strong glasses with three or four coordination numbers which contain BO 3 or BO 4 in their structure. These structural units are connected with B−O−B bonds to enhance their chemical and physical properties [27, 28]. Combining boron oxide with phosphate glasses increases the durability and mechanical features of the produced glasses [29]. Sharing the rare-earth elements (REEs) as hosts in B 2 O 3 and/or P 2 O 5 glasses make the syn- thesized glasses having high transparency and therefore they are being used in linear and nonlinear optical applications [30]. Phosphate glasses doped with alkaline oxide are more * Gokhan Kilic gkilic@ogu.edu.tr 1 Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Menoufa University, Shebin El-Koom 32511, Menoufa, Egypt 2 Ural Federal University, St. Mira, 19, Yekaterinburg, Russia 620002 3 Nuclear Materials Authority, Maadi, Cairo, Egypt 4 Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Letters, Eskisehir Osmangazi University, TR-26040 Eskisehir, Turkey