A self-cleaning, anti-fogging, anti-reflective film has been developed by scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore).

The thin, double-layered silicon dioxide — wherein titanium dioxide film is applied via a two-step technique — can reportedly be used for assorted applications including eyeglasses, solar panels, lenses, windshields, displays and more.

Source: Nanyang Technological University

To apply the coating, the scientists first treated a plastic surface with oxygen plasma to encourage adhesion. The double-layered film was then deposited on the plastic via pulse laser deposition wherein the laser was concentrated on the intended surface targets to vaporize the material and thus apply the desired film thickness.

In the lab, the coating demonstrated photocatalytic capabilities, which were achieved when the titanium dioxide component of the coating self-cleaned, removing organic residues in response to sunlight exposure.

Likewise, the scientists determined that the material demonstrated anti-fogging properties in the lab. According to the team, anti-fogging properties of the coating were measured via the speed that the condensed water droplets created a uniform film that did not block vision.

In addition to its self-cleaning and anti-fogging properties, the coating is also reportedly anti-reflective, demonstrating a visible light transmittance of up to 89% on a regular plastic lens — an improvement of roughly 5% over the same lens not treated with the coating.

The study, Mechanically robust multifunctional antifogging coating on transparent plastic substrates, appears in the journal Applied Surface Science.