Structure and chemical modification in oxide glasses

The structure of oxide glass consists of relatively well defined oxide polyhedra, with significant disorder in the linkages between these groups. We review recent progress in understanding these structures, including the length scales over which they exist, and how they may be modified chemically. We discuss two primary experimental methods: nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and neutron diffraction. We explain how several methods for achieving high resolution in solid-state NMR may be applied to glasses, and how the data from NMR and neutron diffraction may be used together to generate large models that are consistent with both sets. Specific examples are used to illustrate these points, including glasses based on borates, phosphates and tellurites.