Anti-fogging and anti-reflective silica nanofibrous film fabricated by seedless flame method

• Optimized deposition parameters of a seedless flame-base nanowire film fabrication method, leading to nanofibrous film with densified nanowire distribution and sub-wavelength scale gaps.
• Discussed the change of nanowire growth trend caused by precursor diffusion condition fluctuation.
• Good versatility possessing enhanced anti-fogging and anti-reflective properties.

Here we report a multifunctional SiO2 nanofibrous film fabricated on plain glass by the seedless flame spray pyrolysis method. The SiO2 nanowires show different morphologies as growth time increase due to the alteration of gas precursor diffusion conditions. The growth route of nanowires has been divided into several stages due to the different dominant growth type. The densification and overlapping caused by radial and axial growth in competitive relation endow the as-made SiO2 films with increased surface area and sub-wavelength scale structure. Combining the hydrophilicity of flame-made SiO2 and the special fibrous structure, the nanofibrous SiO2 film exhibits considerable anti-fogging and anti-reflective properties.