Project Summary

The overall performance of optical equipment and devices is ultimately dependent on their transparency. This is especially evident when such devices are constantly exposed to varying environmental conditions. Thus the development of a robust, transparent and self-cleaning coating is highly desirable. Instrumentation utilised in the field is often exposed to a range of environments and often suffers fouling which inevitably results in a loss of performance, poor data quality and the need for frequent maintenance.

In this project we propose the study, development and characterisation of novel self-cleaning materials. This involves the incorporation/modification of hydrophobic materials while maintaining a level of optical transparency. Initial work has illustrated that certain sol-gel and nanomaterials show potential for selfcleaning while maintaining optical clarity.