This glass coating composition uses nanoparticle self-assembly to generate a transparent, durable, and abrasion-resistant antireflection glass coating. Inexpensive antireflection coatings on glass substrates are of great industrial application in high-performance optics and optical devices for reducing unwanted reflection from the glass surfaces. Traditional glass surfaces are prone to losing some transmitted light to surface reflection, requiring antireflection glass coatings to prevent optical loss and image distortion. Additionally, it can increase the energy conversion efficiency of high-performance optics. Current antireflection coatings, usually prepared by vacuum-based physical vapor deposition technologies, like sputtering, suffer from high cost and low throughput. Scientists have explored some nanoparticle self-assembly-based antireflective coatings, such as the nonporous coating driven by phase separation and selective removal of spin-coated polymer blends, and the single-step monolayer nanoparticle self-assembly by the Langmuir-Blodgett technology. However, the technologies suffer from poor durability, are prone to abrasion, and can be easily scratched off the glass surface. These limitations are critical in final commercial applications, making durable and high-performing coatings necessary.
Researchers at the University of Florida have developed a nanoparticle-based antireflective coating for glass substrates, producing a more durable and abrasion-resistant glass coating than traditional bottom-up technologies. This composition marks a simple and inexpensive antireflection coating system for reducing light loss from optical reflection while generating high output quantities at any given time.
Nanoparticle-based composition for generating antireflection glass coating with improved durability and abrasion-resistance
University of Florida researchers developed an antireflection glass coating composition using self-assembling nanoparticles. Using silica nanoparticle spheres for coating vastly increases the amount of light that passes through coated glass surfaces, increasing the efficiency of use. The silica spheres are centrifugated and redispersed in pure ethanol to ensure the purification of the particles. By flash-annealing, the silica spheres melt and shrink slightly, creating a bond between the nanoparticles and between the nanoparticles and the glass substrate. This bond increases the durability of the coating without impacting its performance. The process generates an antireflective, durable, and abrasion-resistant glass surface. Additionally, using inexpensive and commercially available materials and equipment enables the generation of large amounts of coated glass surfaces within a short time span.
