LAUSR

Abstract Tungsten bronze has attracted global attention for its applications in near-infrared (NIR)-shielding windows. Here, alkali metal tungsten bronze (MxWO3, M = one or two types of Li, Na, and K)-doped glasses are prepared by a simple melt-quenching method. Their structure and properties were characterized by XRD, Raman spectroscopy, XPS and UV–Vis–NIR spectrophotometry. The effects of M on their structure and the NIR shielding performance are investigated. The LiF sample has the best NIR shielding performance, but its visible transmittance is sacrificed due to its low quality. The glasses containing mixed Li+ and K+ cooperate to form a high-quality Li+/K+-codoped tungsten bronze, while the glasses containing mixed Li+ and Na+ compete for limited tungsten resources to form Li+- and Na+-doped tungsten bronzes separately. The research here is helpful for understanding the role of different alkali metal ions in bulk energy-saving glass and is hugely significant for the guidance of the future applications of energy-saving glass without films.