Work by University of California Irvine scientists could reduce glare from solar panels and electronic displays, as well as dangerous glints on military weapons. “We found a very simple process and a tiny bit of gold can turn a transparent film black,” says chemistry professor Robert Corn. The team was initially worried when they noticed what appeared to be soot on a flexible film designed to coat various products. Via painstaking tests, however, they realized they accidentally discovered a way to fabricate a surface capable of eliminating glare. The material can also keep grime in raindrops and other moisture from sticking.
A repeating pattern of cones modeled on moth eyeballs at the nanoscale was etched on Teflon and other nonstick surfaces. A thin layer of gold was then applied over the cones and the shine from the gold and any light reflecting onto it was all but obliterated. The material is also highly hydrophobic. For more information: Robert Corn, 949.824.1746, [email protected], uci.edu.
Image caption – UC Irvine undergraduate chemistry student George Auwaijan sports a pair of sunglasses coated with a new material invented by researchers that mimics the pattern of moth eyeballs to reduce glare. Courtesy of Gabriel Loget/UC Irvine.
