ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Sol-gel thin films with anti-reflective and self-cleaning properties

Hasan Erdem Çamurlu, Ömer Kesmez, Esin Burunkaya, Nadir Kiraz, Zerin Yeşil, Meltem Asiltürk, and Ertuğrul Arpaç

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Akdeniz University, 07058 Antalya, Turkey

E-mail: mailto:erdemcamurlu@gmail.com

Abstract: Self-cleaning photocatalytic TiO₂ films are beneficial since they reduce the maintenance cost and enhance the efficiency of various optical systems, especially thermal and photovoltaic solar systems. However, the presence of a TiO₂ layer on glass reduces the transmission of incident light, which leads to a decrease in efficiency. This drawback can be overcome by applying a layer of anti-reflective coating beneath the TiO₂ layer. Generally, the anti-reflective layer is porous silica. The presence of the anti-reflective layer compensates for the loss of light transmittance caused by the photocatalytic TiO₂ top layer. This paper reviews some of the previous and the latest fundamental studies in the literature on anti-reflective, self-cleaning and multi-functional films.

Keywords: anti-reflective coating – self-cleaning coating – SiO2 coating – TiO2 coating – double-layer coating – multi-functional coating

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.2478/s11696-012-0144-4

Chemical Papers 66 (5) 461–471 (2012)