Durable self-cleaning antireflective and antifog Al micro-nano structure on glass by laser marker ablation

Fogging poses a significant challenge, occasionally jeopardizing life safety in automotive and surgical fields. The maintenance of high efficiency in photovoltaic systems necessitates regular cleaning, consuming millions of tons of water annually, rendering it financially burdensome in arid regions. The implementation of glass antireflection is a necessary strategy for enhancing photovoltaic efficiency. Therefore, self-cleaning, antifog and antireflective properties have attracted wide attention. A hierarchical micron-nano structure was fabricated by laser marker fast ablation of Al coated soda lime glass in air. The composition, structure, morphology, transparency, and anti-fog performance of the structured samples were measured and analyzed. The influence of Al coating thickness and laser scanning speed on the resulting surface properties was investigated. The structured surface exhibited a distinct hillock-hollow micro-structure, with widely distributed Al-based nanoparticles covering the entire surface. Consequently, the treated samples demonstrated a water contact angle of 0 degrees, siginfing superhydrophilicity, and exhibited outstanding and durable antifogging properties for over 150 days. Even after 540 days of storage in the laboratory, a noticeable antifog effect persisted for the treated sample compared to the reference, which had degraded substantially. Notably, achieving 0-degree superhydrophilicity took within a mere 1 s for the structured surface, which also showed outstanding antifouling and self-cleaning attributes. Moreover, the treated glass exhibited a broadband transmission enhancement of 2 % in the range of 400-1100 nm compared to the control glass. It is important to highlight that the combination of durable superhydrophilic antifog performance, self-cleaning attribute, and broadband transmission enhancement has not been reported previously for laser-ablated surfaces. This technique exhibits significant potential for wide-ranging applications across multiple fields.