Molecular Dynamics Simulation of the Structure and Properties of Lithium Phosphate Glasses

A new forcefield model was developed for the computer simulation of phosphate materials that have many important applications in the electronics and biomedical industries. The model provides a fundamental basis for the evaluation of phosphate glass structure and thermodynamics. Molecular dynamics simulations of a series of lithium phosphate glass compositions were performed using the forcefield model. A high concentration of three-membered rings (P303) occurs in the glass of intermediate composition (0.2 LizO. 0.8 P205) that corresponds to the minimum in the glass transition temperature cuwe for the compositional series. Molecular orbital calculations of various phosphate ring clusters indicate an increasing stabilization of the phosphate ring structure going from twoto four-membered rings.