Fabrication and characterisation of SiO2-ZrO2 double-layer nano-coating with potential usage as hydrophobic and antireflective coatings for solar applications.
Saved in:
| Title: | Fabrication and characterisation of SiO |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Dogra, Vaishally1,2 (AUTHOR), Kishore, Chandra1 (AUTHOR), Mishra, Abhilasha3 (AUTHOR), Gaur, Amit4 (AUTHOR), Verma, Akarsh5 (AUTHOR) akarshverma007@gmail.com |
| Source: | Materials Research Innovations. Feb2026, Vol. 30 Issue 2, p123-134. 12p. |
| Subjects: | Solar technology, Transparency (Optics), Cleaning, Nanocoatings, Light absorbance, Sol-gel materials, Hydrophobic interactions, Silica |
| Abstract: | Designing a solar panel having fewer optical losses and high efficiency is a vast research area. For that, nano-coatings are the most attractive and researched field when talking about smart self-cleaning and antireflective optical coatings. However, the dual requirements of high optical transparency and superhydrophobicity in solar panel coatings present a persistent challenge, particularly when employing multi-layered nano-structures. While SiO₂ and ZrO₂ individually offer favourable antireflective and durable properties, their synergistic integration into a single functional coating has remained largely unexplored. In this study, the authors have reported a novel sol–gel-based fabrication of a hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS)modified SiO₂–ZrO₂ double-layer nano-coating that achieved a remarkable balance between the optical performance and surface wettability. These coatings were characterised using the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscope (AFM), contact angle goniometry and transmission measurements to evaluate their morphology, composition, transparency and wettability. From the resulting point of view, the optimised coating demonstrated outstanding optical transparency of up to 93.8%, and superhydrophobic behaviour with a water contact angle of 152°. AFM analysis showed that the coated surfaces exhibited increased surface roughness, with a maximum peak depth of 59.3 nm compared to 18.1 nm for the uncoated samples, indicating well-defined hierarchical structuring. FTIR spectra revealed sharp peaks at 1076 cm− 1 and 1251 cm−1, attributed to Si – O – Si vibrations from HMDS-modified silica and Zr – O – Si bonding, confirming successful chemical integration of both phases. This dual-performance coating will not only enhance solar light transmission but will also provide superior self-cleaning functionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Materials Research Innovations is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Engineering Source |
|
Full text is not displayed to guests.
Login for full access.
|
|
| Abstract: | Designing a solar panel having fewer optical losses and high efficiency is a vast research area. For that, nano-coatings are the most attractive and researched field when talking about smart self-cleaning and antireflective optical coatings. However, the dual requirements of high optical transparency and superhydrophobicity in solar panel coatings present a persistent challenge, particularly when employing multi-layered nano-structures. While SiO₂ and ZrO₂ individually offer favourable antireflective and durable properties, their synergistic integration into a single functional coating has remained largely unexplored. In this study, the authors have reported a novel sol–gel-based fabrication of a hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS)modified SiO₂–ZrO₂ double-layer nano-coating that achieved a remarkable balance between the optical performance and surface wettability. These coatings were characterised using the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscope (AFM), contact angle goniometry and transmission measurements to evaluate their morphology, composition, transparency and wettability. From the resulting point of view, the optimised coating demonstrated outstanding optical transparency of up to 93.8%, and superhydrophobic behaviour with a water contact angle of 152°. AFM analysis showed that the coated surfaces exhibited increased surface roughness, with a maximum peak depth of 59.3 nm compared to 18.1 nm for the uncoated samples, indicating well-defined hierarchical structuring. FTIR spectra revealed sharp peaks at 1076 cm− 1 and 1251 cm−1, attributed to Si – O – Si vibrations from HMDS-modified silica and Zr – O – Si bonding, confirming successful chemical integration of both phases. This dual-performance coating will not only enhance solar light transmission but will also provide superior self-cleaning functionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 14328917 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/14328917.2025.2541215 |
