Monolithically integrated micro- and nanostructured glass surface with antiglare, antireflection, and superhydrophobic properties

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2014 Jul 23;6(14):11198-203. doi: 10.1021/am5013062. Epub 2014 Jul 7.

Abstract

Hierarchical micro- and nanostructured surfaces have previously been made using a variety of materials and methods, including particle deposition, polymer molding, and the like. These surfaces have attracted a wide variety of interest for applications including reduced specular reflection and superhydrophobic surfaces. To the best of our knowledge, this paper reports the first monolithic, hierarchically structured glass surface that combines micro- and nanoscale surface features to simultaneously generate antiglare (AG), antireflection (AR), and superhydrophobic properties. The AG microstructure mechanically protects the AR nanostructure during wiping and smudging, while the uniform composition of the substrate and the micro- and nanostructured surface enables ion exchange through the surface, so that both the substrate and structured surface can be simultaneously chemically strengthened.