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 was prepared via sol–gel dip-coating method for self-cleaning purposes. 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 30 min. 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 precoated layer comparatively prevent rare elements ions diffusion from substrate to avoid unfavorable compounds. The results illustrate the crystalline anatase as main phase for films annealed at 500 °C with average crystallite size of 22-26 nm, which was preferable due to much higher photocatalytic activity of anatase compared 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.