Contribution of 43Ca MAS NMR for probing the structural configuration of calcium in glass

The 43Ca MAS NMR spectra obtained for three calcium silicate glasses containing aluminum and/or sodium are analyzed. The 43Ca NMR parameters are shown to be highly sensitive to variations in its chemical environment. The transition from a charge-compensating role of [AlO4]− groups to a network-modifying role near nonbridging oxygen atoms results in an increase of both the isotropic chemical shift and the quadrupolar coupling constant of 43Ca. This effect can be related to the first coordination shell of calcium (through the Ca–O bond distance) which is affected by the chemical environment beyond the first neighbors of calcium.