Self‐cleaning antireflected surfaces based on treated PEO/SiO2 nanocomposite films

Abstract In this study, the polyethylene oxide (PEO)/SiO 2 nanoparticles (NPs) nanocomposite films with various SiO 2 NPs concentrations were prepared using an in situ formation of NPs in the polymer matrix for self‐cleaning antireflected surface applications. The effect of SiO 2 NPs in PEO/SiO 2 NPs nanocomposite films on the structural, morphological, chemical, thermal, optical, and electrical properties of PEO/SiO 2 NPs nanocomposite films was performed. According to the x‐ray diffraction and the differential scanning calorimetry analysis, the crystallinity degree of the nanocomposite films decreases by increasing the SiO 2 NPs concentrations. The bandgap energy of PEO/SiO 2 NPs nanocomposite films decreases from 3.95 to 3.55 eV as the SiO 2 NPs concentration increases up to 10 wt.%. The average electrical conductivity of the PEO/SiO 2 NPs nanocomposite films increases from 5.1 × 10 −7 to 2.0 × 10 −6 S/cm as the SiO 2 NPs concentration increases up to 10 wt.%. The refractive index decreases to 1.64 at 550 nm for the PEO/SiO 2 NPs nanocomposite films with 10 wt.% of SiO 2 NPs, and the water contact angle decreases to around 0° after thermal treatment, which confirms that the PEO/SiO 2 NPs nanocomposite films can be used as self‐cleaning antireflected surfaces.