Deposition of silicon dioxide antireflection coatings on glass by sol-gel method in the presence of Pluronic® F127 block-copolymer

Abstract

Hydrolysis of tetraethoxysilane in the presence of Pluronic® F127 block-copolymer in a water-alcohol mixture was used to obtain sol-formulations from which antireflection coatings were deposited onto silicate glass by the dip-coating method and then calcined at high temperatures (200–500°C). Electron spectroscopy was used to study the dependence of the optical transmission of glass samples with a coating on the concentration of Pluronic® F127 in the starting sol, introduction of organic additives (toluene) into the sol, and calcination temperature of the glasses obtained. The refractive index and hardness of the film coatings were determined and their surface structure was assessed.