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Anti-reflection silica coating simultaneously achieving superhydrophobicity and robustness

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Abstract

Anti-reflection film (AR), as a type of optical coating, is applied to surfaces such as lenses, optical elements, and displays to minimize glare and allow more light to enter the eyes. In this study, we propose a novel method to prepare an anti-reflection superhydrophobic silica coating. The original film is made from a fluorine-containing solution and is subsequently modified through gas-phase chemical vapor deposition in a hexamethyldisilazane environment. This modification process reduces the consumption of fluorosilane and improves the transmittance of the coating. The prepared AR film in our work exhibits excellent optical performance with a maximum transmittance of 98.2% across a broad wavelength range of 300–900 nm. Compared to the average transmittance of bare glass at 89.1%, the maximum average transmittance can reach 95.2%. By controlling the amount of ammonia, the refractive index can be adjusted to a low level in the range of 1.08–1.16. Moreover, the superhydrophobic film was treated with wet ammonia to further bolster its mechanical properties. Since the excellent superhydrophobic properties of the prepared AR film, it can repel the dirt adhering to the edge of the film, thus obtaining excellent self-cleaning ability. In addition, the film can recover superhydrophobicity after cleaning with pure alcohol. This work contributes to further promoting the widespread application of AR film.

Graphical Abstract

Highlights

  • Maximum transmittance of the SiO2 AR film within 300–900 nm can reach 98.2%.

  • The AR film modified using HMDS by CVD shows water contact as high as 161°.

  • Mechanical property of AR film can be improved by wet ammonia catalysis.

  • The superhydrophobic performance of AR film can be recovered by alcohol cleaning.

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Lipeng Wang, Kun Liu

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300354, China

    Lipeng Wang, Kun Liu, Meilin Yin & Shaokun Tang

  2. Xinte Energy Co., Ltd., Ürümqi, Xinjiang, China

    Bo Yin & Xingping Liu

Authors
  1. Lipeng Wang
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  2. Kun Liu
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  3. Meilin Yin
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  4. Bo Yin
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  5. Xingping Liu
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  6. Shaokun Tang
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Contributions

LW participated in the experiment and wrote the manuscript. KL, MY, BY, and XL edited the manuscript. ST participated in supervision, conceptualization, methodology, validation, reviewing, and editing. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Shaokun Tang.

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Wang, L., Liu, K., Yin, M. et al. Anti-reflection silica coating simultaneously achieving superhydrophobicity and robustness. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 109, 835–848 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-024-06314-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-024-06314-y

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