Abstract
This work has been performed to understand the effect of insertion of pure graphene, a two-dimensional organic material, throughout the structural matrix of the pure sodium borate glass. Different amounts (in grams), 0 <= x <= 3, of graphene have been added to 1 mol of Na2B4O7 center dot 10H(2)O. Four solid samples were prepared using fast cooling from their melts at 1000 +/- 10 degrees C. The prepared solids were characterized using X-ray diffraction, which indicated the amorphous nature of the four samples with an increase in the count rate when the content of graphene increased. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectral analysis confirmed that the increase in the graphene content caused an increase in BO4 concentration concerning BO3. The amount of oxidized graphene was shared as glass network formers. The measured values of bulk density and the micro-hardness slightly increased as the graphene content increased. Optical measurement showed an increase in the optical absorbance, direct band gap, indirect band gap, and optical band edge. Also, the values of optoelectronic parameters increased when the graphene content increased to be larger than that of the pure ZnO and CO-ZnO, making the studied glass good candidates for nonlinear optical applications. Both the metallization factor and Urbach's energy showed that the crystallinity degree increased when the content of graphene increased.