Regeneration of Antifog Performance of Laser-Induced Copper-Based Micro-Nano Structured Surfaces by Rapid Thermal Treatment

Abstract

In this investigation, the laser marker ablation technique was employed on Cu-coated glass to fabricate micro-nanostructured antifog glass. The resulting surfaces exhibited a quasi-periodic micron hillock-hollow structure with dispersed nanoparticles distributed throughout, which played a role in the antifog property and superhydrophilicity. However, airborne organic pollutant deposition degraded the superhydrophilicity of ablated glass surfaces and, therefore, their antifog performance, which cannot be circumvented. Conventionally, furnace annealing for at least 1 h was used to decompose the organic pollutants and restore the superhydrophilicity, limiting the throughput and application scenario. Remarkably, the rapid regeneration of this property was achieved through either a 5 min rapid thermal treatment at 400 °C or a 1 s flame treatment. These are interventions that are hitherto unreported. Such short and simple treatment methods underscore the potential of laser-ablated glass for diverse practical applications.