Durmus, HasanGüler, ÖmerIlik, E.Kavaz, E.Birdogan, SelcukTekin, H.O.Kilic, G.2026-04-252026-04-252026-081879-08950969-806Xhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14365/9022https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radphyschem.2026.113844This study investigates the effects of holmium oxide (Ho2O3) microparticle reinforcement on the structural, physical, and radiation shielding properties of borotellurite glasses with compositions ranging from 0 to 12 mol% Ho2O3. X-ray diffraction and TEM analyses confirmed the retention of amorphous structure across all samples, with localized short-range ordering observed at higher Ho contents. Glass density increased from 4.598 to 5.202 g/cm3 with increasing Ho2O3, while molar volume expanded from 27.94 to 30.61 cm3/mol, and oxygen packing density decreased from 0.605 to 0.551 g/cm3, indicating network expansion due to the substitution of lighter Li + ions by heavier Ho3+. Gamma-ray shielding properties significantly improved with Ho incorporation. At 81 keV, the linear attenuation coefficient increased from 8.33 to 13.70 cm-1, and the mass attenuation coefficient improved from 2.066 to 2.735 cm2/g. Moreover, effective atomic number rose from 44.9 to 52.5 and half-value layer decreased by 20.5% at 383 keV, and buildup factors dropped by up to 34% at 0.5 MeV. Neutron dose absorption improved, and the fast neutron removal cross-section increased from 0.1066 to 0.1113 cm-1. These results confirm that Ho2O3 contributes as a highly effective multifunctional dopant, significantly enhancing both gamma-ray and neutron shielding performance of borotellurite glasses, one of the most promising glass systems for advanced radiation protection applications.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccessEDSNeutronBorotellurite GlassHolmium OxideGamma-rayXRDTEMArticle10.1016/j.radphyschem.2026.1138442-s2.0-105033506529