On the Investigation of Sol-Gel TiO2 Nanostructured Films Applied on Windshields Pre-Coated with SiO2 Layer by Dip-Coating Method

TiO2-SiO2 photocatalytic nanostructure film on windshield for self-cleaning purposes was prepared via sol–gel dip-coating method. TiO2 films were prepared on automotive glass pre-coated with a SiO2 layer by a dip-coating method followed by annealing at 500 °C for 30min. The films were characterized using X-ray diffraction XRD and scanning electron microscopy SEM, FE-SEM techniques. The TiO2-SiO2 films were transparent, uniform and crack-free and the temperature was best chosen. XRD shows that SiO2 pre-coated layer comparatively pre-vent rare elements ions diffusion from substrate to avoid unfavorable compounds. The results illustrate the crys-talline anatase as main phase for films annealed at 500 °C with average crystalline size of 22-26nm, which was preferable due to much higher photocatalytic activity of anatase compare to rutile phase. The FE-SEM surface morphology results indicate that the particle size was 22 nm, whereas some pores observed in the coatings which were due to un-perfect solvent evaporation.