Functional photocatalytically active and scratch resistant antireflective coating based on TiO2 and SiO2

• Published in: Applied surface science Vol. 380; pp. 165 - 171
• Main Authors: Mazur, M., Wojcieszak, D., Kaczmarek, D., Domaradzki, J., Song, S., Gibson, D., Placido, F., Mazur, P., Kalisz, M., Poniedzialek, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.09.2016
• Subjects: Antireflective coating; Coating; Deposition; Glass; Mechanical properties; Multilayers; Optical properties; Photocatalysis; SiO2; Substrates; Thin films; TiO2; Titanium dioxide; Wettability; X-rays; Thin films; Wettability; Optical properties; Photocatalysis; Antireflective coating; Mechanical properties; SiO2; TiO2
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2016.01.226

•Designed multilayer was deposited by microwave assisted magnetron sputtering method.•AR coating in designed wavelength range had transmittance higher than 97%.•The AR multilayer was hydrophobic and photocatalytically active.•AR coating was scratch resistant.•Deposited multilayer had higher hardness than the glass substrate. Antireflection (AR) multilayer coating, based on combination of five TiO2 and SiO2 thin films, was deposited by microwave assisted reactive magnetron sputtering process on microscope glass substrates. In this work X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and wettability measurements were used to characterize the structural and surface properties of the deposited coating. These studies revealed that prepared coating was amorphous with low surface roughness. Photocatalytic properties were determined based on phenol decomposition reaction. Measurements of optical properties showed that transmittance in the visible wavelength range was increased after the deposition of AR coating as-compared to bare glass substrate. The mechanical properties were determined on the basis of nano-indentation and scratch resistance tests. Performed research has shown that deposition of an additional thin 10nm thick TiO2 thin film top layer, the prepared AR coating was photocatalytically active, hydrophobic, scratch resistant and had increased hardness as-compared to bare glass substrate. These results indicate that prepared AR multilayer could be used also as a self-cleaning and protective coating.