Self-assembled nanoparticle antireflection coatings on geometrically complex optical surfaces.

Here we report a simple and scalable electrostatics-assisted colloidal self-assembly technology for fabricating monolayer nanoparticle antireflection coatings on geometrically complex optical surfaces. By using a surface-modified glass volumetric flask with a long neck as a proof-of-concept demonstration, negatively charged silica nanoparticles with 110 nm diameter are electrostatically adsorbed on both the interior and exterior surfaces of the flask possessing positive surface charges. The self-assembled monolayer nanoparticle antireflection coatings can significantly improve light transmission through different regions of the flask with varied curvatures, as revealed by optical transmission measurements and numerical simulations using a simplified thin-film multilayer model.