Superhydrophilic and antireflective La(OH)3/SiO2-nanorod/nanosphere films

La(OH)3 nanorods were self-stacked on the glass slide substrates using an aqueous suspension obtained from the hydrolysis of LaOCl. The key for producing a high optical quality film of La(OH)3 lies in the preparation of an aqueous suspension in which La(OH)3 nanorods are well dispersed. These thin-film coatings of La(OH)3 nanorods led to a significantly reduced reflective losses in the visible region, exhibiting an attractive and potentially useful single-layer antireflection property. Furthermore, La(OH)3 nanorod layer provides a sufficiently porous and rough surface required to achieve superhydrophilicity. Thus, when SiO2 nanoparticles of ca. 20 nm in diameter were deposited onto La(OH)3 layer of high roughness, the resulting La(OH)3/SiO2 film demonstrated an interesting nanoporosity-derived superhydrophilicity and antifogging property with no significant loss of antireflective property.

Graphical abstractLa(OH)3 nanorods film self-stacked on the glass slide provided highly rough surface for SiO2 nanoparticles layer, the as-assembled La(OH)3/SiO2 film demonstrating superhydrophilicity and antireflectivity simultaneously.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload high-quality image (121 K)Download as PowerPoint slideResearch highlights► La(OH)3 nanorods were self-stacked on the glass slide substrates. ► These thin-film coatings of La(OH)3 nanorods exhibit potentially useful single-layer antireflection property. ► La(OH)3 nanorod layer provides a sufficiently rough surface required to achieve superhydrophilicity. ► La(OH)3/SiO2-nanorod/nanosphere film shows superhydrophilicity and antireflectivity simultaneously.