Mg-doped SiO2 porous coating with high anti-reflection in the visible spectrum

•Mg-doped anti-reflection single layer coatings were fabricated on glass substrates.•The maximum transmittance of the single layer coating was 98.5% at 0.04 mol% Mg2+.•An even porous structure with small pores was obtained at 0.04 mol% Mg2+.

Mg-doped anti-reflection single-layer SiO2 coatings were fabricated on glass substrates by dip-coating method. The transmittance and refractive index of the coatings in the visible spectrum were significantly affected by the content of Mg2+ dopants and withdrawal speeds. A maximum transmittance of the Mg-doped anti-reflection coating was obtained when the content of Mg2+ dopants was 0.04 mol% and the withdrawal speed was 350 mm/min. Compared with bare glass substrate (89.7%), the maximum transmittance of the coating was greatly improved to 98.5% at 521 nm. An even porous structure with small pores (about 30 nm) was obtained and this structure can enhance transmittance of the coating in the visible spectrum.