The shape of order in glasses

Abstract

The chemical bond approach to the glassy state is discussed. It is based on two concepts: Ovshinsky's idea of bond option as a necessary condition for amorphization, and Dembovsky's notions about hypervalent bonds (HVB) as alternative bonding state responsible for glass specificity and glass formation at all. The third idea is self-organization of HVBs in the form of a bond wave, which provides an interconnected interpretation of three structural levels: short-range order that is different at around HVB and far outside it, medium-range order in the wavefronts populated with HVB, and long-range order due to the bond wave itself. Experimental evidences and practical consequences of the bond-wave picture are discussed. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.